BJ the Chicago Kid Bio
By Niki McGloster
Grammy-nominated R&B soul singer and songwriter BJ the Chicago Kid, born Bryan Sledge, hails from Chicago, Illinois.
Back from 2021’s indie EP, 4AM, BJ shares his new single “Forgot Your Name,” featuring Cory Henry, a smooth pop-soul fusion track from his forthcoming project, Gravy. Against midtempo, feel-good production, the song describes the unexpected great vibes of a first-time link-up that results in the forgetfulness of trivial details.
With gospel-soaked vocals, BJ first touched hearts with his debut independent album Pineapple Now-Laters in 2012 but quickly gained increased attention the following year with songs like “Honey” and “Good Luv’n” featuring frequent collaborators Freddie Gibbs and Problem.
2014 proved to be BJ’s breakout year when he appeared on SchoolBoy Q’s Grammy award-winning single “Studio” and released his fourth mixtape, The M.A.F.E. Project, which included rap assists from Q, Gibbs, and Smoke DZA.
In 2016, BJ released his impressive major-label debut, In My Mind, which earned the son of the Windy City three Grammy noms, including Best R&B album. Across his career, BJ’s soul-stirring talent has garnered everything from cosigns and collaborations with Kanye West, Chance The Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Solange, and Eric Bellinger.
“Forgot Your Name” stands to continue to accelerate BJ’s success in 2023. The premiere single is the first output of a multi-track project titled Gravy, in collaboration with producer Yeti Beats (Doja Cat’s musical right hand). The album is an organic music match made in heaven that materialized in less than a week.
“This is a total experiment, 100% experiment,” says BJ of the album that org. “It’s two friends having fun on the record. I believe in what he does. He believes in what I do. And the only way to really know what the world thinks of what we created is to give it all and put it out.”
Set to drop this summer, BJ and Yeti’s forthcoming project was recorded with a live band in Memphis, Tennessee at Royal Studios, the home of soul legend Al Green whose ’70s mellow grooves served as inspiration for the album’s overall sound. Features will include Audra Day, Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire, and a well-rounded cast of friends.
