Since signing with Motown Records in 2012, rising neo soul and hip hop artist BJ the Chicago Kid has generated major buzz with red-hot collaborations alongside heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. His highly anticipated debut on the legendary label has yet to drop, but that hasn’t stopped some of soul and R&B’s biggest stars from taking note – Jill Scott tapped BJ for her 2015 tour, and his cutting-edge sound is sure to earn him plenty of new fans on the road. In concert BJ delivers his smooth vocals with unbridled passion and energy while his talented backing band cooks up funky hip hop grooves that always get audiences moving. Whether he’s performing early fan-favorites like “Good Luv’n” or performing newer tracks like “It’s True”, BJ the Chicago Kid always treats ticket buyers to electrifying performances that combine the best of old school R&B, hip hop, and neo soul.

BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:

BJ, aka Bryan James Sledge, was born in Chicago to church choir director parents who instilled a musical appreciation in him at an early age. At age 19 his dreams of a career in music drew him to Los Angeles, where he cut his teeth as a backing singer for various gospel and R&B artists. He performed on Kanye West’s 2006 single “Impossible”, and in 2009 he made his debut as BJ the Chicago Kid with the mixtape A Taste of Chicago. After several more mixtapes, he self-released his 2012 debut album Pineapple Now-Laters. The album caught the attention of Motown Records, which signed him later that year and re-released his single “Good Luv’n”. Since then he's collaborated with a laundry list of hip hop players including Freddie Gibbs, Problem, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper. With his Motown debut already generating buzz, the sky's the limit for BJ the Chicago Kid as he continues to win over fans on tour.