J Hus and Burna Boy Release “MASCULINE” Music Video

Following a three-year hiatus, J Hus’ third studio album Beautiful and Brutal Yard has recently stormed to the top of the UK’s Official Albums Chart, with over 130 million album streams to date. Hus’s 19-track body of work was recently nominated for the 2023 Mercury Prize for Best British Album of the Year, earning him his second nomination overall. To add to the excitement, J Hus has released the latest visuals from his critically acclaimed album, “Masculine” ft. Burna Boy—B.A.B.Y.’ssecondmost streamed track thus far.

Anyone who missed him performing at Burna Boy’s recent London Stadium show is in luck: the visuals for “Masculine,” shot entirely in black and white by Nathan Miller, give us a glimpse of what went down backstage and during the energetic performance itself.

Beautiful and Brutal Yard, named after a patois-influenced slang term for home, refers to Hus’s two sides and his heart. It follows J Hus’ sophomore album, Big Conspiracy, which was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2020 and earned him a BRIT Award for Best British Male. His 2017 debut studio album Common Sense established him as a rap champion and innovator, and in between the two albums, he nabbed multiple features from some of the music industry’s biggest artists, including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Skepta, and Dave.

Beautiful and Brutal Yard is already one of the year’s most celebrated albums. Besides receiving a Mercury Prize nomination just two weeks after release, the album continues to receive glowing reviews and high praise. 

The New York Times named it one of their “Favorite Albums of 2023 So Far” on a recent episode of the podcast Popcast, while NPR proclaimed that Hus sounds “like he is really poised to blow up state-side with this record.” HotNewHipHop proclaimed that he delivered “The Soundtrack To Summer 2023” while NME dubbed the album “a joyous return.” The FADER described how “the energy on Beautiful and Brutal Yard is the kind that emerges when your biggest competitor is yourself” while Billboard announced, “J Hus returns with a vengeance.” Uproxx perhaps summed it up best: “Hus uses his third album to provide a vivid and detailed account of his roots and upbringing, giving equal attention to all that’s beautiful and brutal. This duality contributes to everything on the album: its sonic appeal, the thrill of J Hus’ narratives, and the rapper’s overall artistic vision.” 

Further, Barack Obama picked the hit single “Who Told You” ft. Drake is the #1 song on his “Favorite Songs of Summer 2023” list.

For Hus, all roads lead back to music. Look closely at the album title Beautiful and Brutal Yard to find the acronym: baby. Hus’ baby is music, whether it’s brutal, beautiful, or somewhere in between. This is never more clear and present than on his third studio album. The stage is set. The man goes by several monikers: Uju Militer, The Farda, Ezmalay, and The Ugliest (so named after his clothing brand of the same name). But there is only one J Hus.

Beautiful and Brutal Yard:

1. Intro (THE GOAT)
2. Massacre
3. Who Told You ft. Drake
4. Militerian ft. Naira Marley
5. Palm Tree
6. Nice Body ft. Jorja Smith
7. Masculine ft. Burna Boy
8. Come Look
9. Cream ft. CB
10. Comeback ft. Villz
11. Alien Girl
12. Fresh Water/Safa Kara
13. My Baby
14. Problem Fixer
15. Killy ft. Popcaan
16. It’s Crazy
17. Bim Bim
18. Come Gully Bun (Gambian President) ft. Boss Belly
19. Playing Chess

J Hus Tour October 2023:

October 28^th – Dublin, IE – 3Arena

October 30^th – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

November 1^st – Manchester, UK – AO Arena

November 2^nd – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena

November 5^th – London, UK – The O2

November 6^th – London, UK – The O2

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Ivy Rose

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