BJ The Chicago Kid Talks Faith, 'In My Mind' And Inspiring Path To Stardom

This story was originally published on Forbes.com 

There’s an unspoken truth shared amongst many of the most successful people in history — you can’t experience the pleasures of progress without first enduring the perils of pain. 

The key to keeping a level head on the path to your dreams is learning to accept that the road is paved with both turmoil and triumph. Developing a balanced appreciation for your wins and losses not only builds character, but fuels a drive to prevail despite the circumstances. Although evolution is essential, the growth process comes with levels of uncertainty and fearful whispers of self-doubt that make such transitions similar to swimming against strong tides.

For gifted singers, the byproduct of this process is often a body of work that speaks directly to the soul of people seeking to find their own way through life. This ethos has allowed soul music to lead many of the most influential renaissances and revolutions in history. For Motown recording artist BJ The Chicago Kid, carrying the torch of an era-defining dynasty is a higher calling he’s steadily elevating to reach.

Entering the industry in 2001, BJ began his career singing background for artists like Mary J. Blige, Usher, Stevie Wonder and Jill Scott. While getting a glimpse of stardom, the Chicago native had to withstand countless seasons of setback and sacrifice before finally breaking through.

"Whatever your purpose is that leads you to the point of no return, that’s where you go. "

Following an acclaimed independent debut and several mixtapes, the recent release of his major label introduction In My Mindmarked a coming of age moment. The 15 track project captures the same street-soul duality that has propelled artists like Kendrick Lamar to the forefront of pop culture. Blending contemporary R&B with vintage the vintage Motown sound and a tasteful accent of southern gospel, BJ  delivers a well-rounded depiction of a young man finding his way through life and love, staying true to his beliefs while retaining a natural connection to the culture and corners that raised him.

With standout features that include Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper and Big KRIT, In My Mind boasts a series of successful singles. Riding the massive momentum of his Schoolboy Q collaboration “Studio”, which reached No. 5 on Hot Rap Songs chart, BJ’s lead single “Church” landed at No. 25 on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip Hop Airplay Chart. His follow up single “The New Cupid” climbed to No. 18 on the Billboard + Twitter Emerging Artists Chart. Now, stepping confidently into the spotlight, BJ is committed to carving out a new lane for that will define the future of R&B.

I spoke with BJ The Chicago Kid about his journey through the business, the process of making In My Mind and redefining the sound of soul music for the next generation.

Starting in 2001 as a background singer, to getting your deal in 2o12 and now having your first major label release — How would you describe the process of getting to ‘In My Mind’?

In My Mind really started at birth. Not to sound like a movie, but it really is. It’s crazy all the dreams you have about what you want to do, how you want to do it, and when you’re going to do it. As a child, you never know the date, or that one person who’s going to take you to the next person, who is going to put you in position and give you that one opportunity. The objective is to be ready for whenever the time is, but not knowing when can be discouraging.  

It’s hard not knowing the time, but feeling the raindrops and the thunder so close to your head. It’s like you’re swimming, your body is tired and you don’t see a boat close. There’s a lot of that. Anything you want that bad, which you see so vividly, is not going to be easy. There are still moments of difficulty that we have to overcome everyday, and I think that’s just the power and the passion we have to have for what we do — away from a check, away from Motown, away from Capitol, away from what makes the world turn. The passion alone is what keeps me going.

When you come into the game, there’s a moment when you decide this is what you want to do for a living, and then there comes a point of understanding you have the platform for a reason — How did your concept of purpose evolve?

Passion without purpose is kind of pointless. I think God gives us the vision and wisdom to help enforce what he sees for us. You don’t just sit at home and end up on Empire . You must have understanding and some kind of connection to what your purpose is. That’s where your passion begins to develop, because you sing too much, and you feel it too deep, or you have the same dream too many times. Whatever your purpose is that leads you to the point of no return, that’s where you go. 

When I speak to people, not just kids or people in school, I tell them to focus on the magic. Focus on the things that make you miss the deaths, the births, the birthdays, the weddings, the get well soon calls, the thing that makes you forget all of that is the thing you need to be doing. I’m not saying it’s good to forget about that, I’ve been a terrible cousin to be an incredible artist. Ive been a terrible brother sometimes to be an incredible artist. It’s not purposeless, its purposeful. It’s not intentional at all. There’s just a lot of fine print that comes with this path that we’ve chosen, and sometimes you’re in too deep. I thank God for a sound mind. I do what I do, but don’t leave myself out there for too much craziness to come into my world.

Seeing where you’ve come from, you’re story is very inspiring and many people from all walks of life can relate to you — What were some of the key sacrifices or challenges you’ve had to face? 

I’ve been evicted multiple times living in Los Angeles, with people owing me over $15,000 before. That’s coming from different pipelines, whether it’s publishing, money from a TV show, or money from a hook. It all adds up. I’ve been through all kinds of crazy things, like not having Christmas money to buy gifts or go home and see my family. I’ve been through some of the realest situations possible. It’s not easy going through those things, but I’ve been there. I thank God for going through it, because it’s allowed me to understand the true value of things such as time and money.

As an adult, those struggles help you evaluate things in your life. They help you stay sharp and keep your business tight. I definitely have been through a lot, and I’m sure I’m not done going through. Not being around my family and knowing it may be another 365 days before I have the chance to be around them again, sometimes that would burn me. One time I was in London for Christmas, and although I was happy that I was working, I was sick not being around my family. I went on four tours in the past 14 months. I was on tour with Marsha Ambrosius, then on tour with Luke James, I also did a tour with Jill Scott and did a tour with Big KRIT. Those trials have made me become better. They have made me get my team better. They have made me go harder musically and every other way.

You mentioned how you never know the time or when your moment will come — considering that then finally getting to the place where the time comes and people are rooting for you — how did it feel to get that album printed, pressed and delivered? 

I had to be in Chicago when the album came out. I did a whole show with WGCI, and did interviews right after. During the last interview, I saw someone that I didn’t expect to see from LA, and said you came all the way to Chicago just for this? He told me he wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world. That took me back. My eyes just started to water. I knew I was going to cry, not because of that person, but because you give birth to a baby when you put out a project. It’s a different type of thing. My family was downstairs waiting for me. I walked down the steps and into this room. When I walked in, the room was full of people. People I knew were coming, some people I didn’t know were coming, people I thought couldn’t get in, people I haven’t seen since high school. Seeing the people that I missed weddings, or there mom passed and cousin passed. Seeing the people that I missed all these crazy things for that were life altering, but to see them there to support me confirmed the reasons that I missed those moments was probably one of the most indescribable feelings I could ever have.

It felt like I earned those tears. I earned it by creating something I could share, something they could touch and listen to and admire in my absence. From years of singing background and not knowing when I was going to transition out of that, then going to get a deal and make an album. There’s so many stages. You just see stage 15. You don’t see stage 9 or stage 12. You don’t see 6. You think, why isn’t my life where I want it to be? I just saw this person or that person and they were behind me in line. Are you willing to take it on the chin, then take it again and again. You feel a little sunshine, then it happens again and again. If you can take that, then you can do this.

Being in the business for as long as you have, you see the money and the fame all the time — What is your definition of success and how has your idea of fulfillment evolved over time? 

Success is pretty much living for options and having options. Some people can only go to Mexico on vacation. I want the option to go wherever I want. Success for me is being comfortable, and not in terms of a certain level of financial status, but that comfort comes from within.  I really believe in peaceful success. I understand that at a certain point you don’t control that anymore. There are different adjustments for different people, and I’m sure I will have to adjust to certain things, but I just want to keep making great music and we’ll see what happens from there when it comes to the other side of things. But success to me is definitely inner peace and to have options for both myself and my people.

 " Success for me is being comfortable, and not in terms of a certain level of financial status, but that comfort comes from within."

You have a unique bled of soul and street that seamlessly merges Hip Hop and R&b — What will soul music look like for the next generation and where do you see it going? 

Soul starts in church, and all things lead to soul. From Kanye’s The Life of Pablo, it has soul samples all through it. All of that leads back to “The New Cupid”, and it leads back to ‘Fall On My Face”. It leads back to all this real music. I chill at my house and clean up to Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Same Cooke or Otis Redding. I clean my crib and cook to this type of stuff. So, in my own time, having my experiences with that kind of music, then getting in the studio with Schoolboy Q and he wants to sample this old Isaac Hayes record that Ive been listening to all of my life, it feels natural to me.

I live two different lifestyles. I know the culture of chopping and sampling, but I also understand and appreciate the originality of what they’re chopping.  There’s two different lifestyles in one song, so when I get on a song like that, its a totally different approach. It’s respecting the past, but owning the future, which is very hard to do.  But, I think time after time, doing what I do, it’s just given me the gift of getting to my soul very fast. I feel like when you hear a song from Otis Redding or Black Milk, all of that stuff leads right back to what I’m doing.  Soul music is never forgotten about.

Even with you saying all things lead to soul, there is still the ongoing debate that soul music is dead — What is it that has so many people saying that the soul of R&B is gone? 

We live in the ratchet generation. I understand it, but I feel like my voice and my responsibility is different. My life has been slightly different, and I understand. I still come from the hood. I’m not a suburban kid trying to be different, but I understand the difference between who I am versus who they’re trying to be. I understand myself and my purpose a little bit more. It’s not just to party and kick it, but it’s about saying you came home late last night, so you have to deal with wait until the morning syndrome, so what are you going to do now? I feel like it’s only right to get you out of some tight situations too.

Seeing the success of artists like Kendrick who come from a place like Compton and speak to the realities of those areas, yet also speak to empowerment and soul — What does that say about the stories that connect to today’s generation? 

There’s so many people who went to church and still hung in the street with the knuckleheads. It’s not like just because you knew someone on the block your street credibility is softened. Some people really were there — his homie got shot in the same car with him last night. Some people are really there, and some people are really in church too; they’re the same person. Some people really understand both lives. Some people weren’t so far in it, but they still had a real relationship with both sides, and I feel like that isn’t voiced a lot. They don’t feel like they have a place where they understand that they’re cool too.

I feel like that’s what I come from. I come from a place where everything that I did was cool, and it wasn’t me trying to prove that to someone else. I understood I wasn’t terrible for having the experiences that I’ve had. I thank God for having to come home when the street lights came on at the age, because look at me now. All of it adds up. You never know or fully understand what you’re going through, but when it’s over you get it.

With such narratives not commonly shared or celebrated on a larger scale — What does the success of artists like yourself say about the value of these experiences had by young people from challenging upbringings?

I’m a huge collector of old soul DVD’s. Marvin Gaye in London. Al Green live overseas. They made black music, but yet they’re in a foreign land like Japan where there’s only Japanese people there, but these artists are talking directly to us [Black People]. It transcends far beyond your control. It’s beyond my control. It’s music. It gets passed, it gets heard, and it never ends. I feel like that same influence and power transcends today. 

Kendrick is speaking to us, but he’s also speaking to the world, and he knows the world is listening. They can translate and understand his emotions and his message. It’s the same thing with Marvin Gaye and the people who came before Marvin. James Brown made black music.  The sound, the baseline, the drums, the tempo, how he danced. He made black music and the world loved it. We’re artists first, and then theres a title. We have wings these days, and some of us understand how strong these wings are.

What was the feeling signing with an iconic imprint like Motown and being someone who is in position to carry that legacy into the next generation? 

It’s an honor to be a part of the history. It’s an honor for them to recognize my talent and not try to change me musically. They just want me to evolve. They want me to live, they want me to see what I see and incorporate it into the music. They just want me to continue doing what I was doing before stepping into the door that made them love me. That was the biggest blessing, because that took the pressure off.  Being structured the way that I am, church and the streets, it’s the same thing for every other artist in the history of Motown. I get it, and this was meant to happen.

After experiencing life behind the scenes and now being an artist in the forefront — What are the keys to being in the business of music for you now? 

You have to be around people you trust and those who can allow you to see what can be better. You have to value their taste and give them the open floor to do so. Nobody is perfect. When we came to Motown, we had a little shaping up to do. There are a lot fewer record labels than before, and all of us are going through shifts. I feel like all of that helps us put the right energy into the music. Everything else that we do, it adds to the good energy and pushes people to give their all and leave our stamp upon the world. 

One of the coolest things about being an artist is being able to put a hundred and fifty thousand percent into every little thing and seeing what that water does to the plant. Seeing the true results. True results from true hard work, then seeing what truly happens. When we have a victory, its a sincere victory. When theres a draw, its a draw. When we lose, we lose. But we definitely learn from every result and I feel like that’s what got us this far. That’s another reason I cried tears in Chicago with my family, because it’s a beautiful moment and beautiful feeling to be that fulfilled. It’s beautiful to know your dreams and the dreams of others around you are real.

"Kendrick is speaking to us, but he’s also speaking to the world, and he knows the world is listening."

Your lead single “Church” with Chance The Rapper was such a huge success and really serves as many people’s introduction to you — What was the process of putting that song together? 

With “Church”, and even before that record, I got myself into the routine of trying to think off the wall naturally. I was just coming up with ideas to improve and create dope things. “She said she wanna drink, do drugs, and have sex tonight, but I got church in the morning” was the first line of the song. I wasn’t trying to write it, it just came out. I never heard it sound or be said in that way, and I really liked it. So, I recorded it. While they were mixing the vocal after I recorded that part, my buddy came into the studio singing, “hopefully we can go to heaven” with no clue of what I just recorded. He was coming from outside and just getting to the studio. I said dude, you need to hear what I just did, you need to record that right now. They finished that part, I ended up leaving the hook as is. Then, my A&R works with those producers as well, so he was with them listening and asked them if it was me on the song. He called me on the phone instantly and said, “you haven’t finished this yet!?”

After that call, I finished the verses with my man PJ Morton, Rio and Aaron. In the meantime, while we were finishing, I needed that special sound and verse on it. That made me think of Chance, because I just got out of the studio with him, so he was fresh on my brain and it made so much sense. Chance definitely comes from the church as well, but he understands the streets as well. He had the same relationship that we all had, church and the streets. So, everything you hear and feel in that song is true, even to the people.

It seems like all of the songs for this album came together organically — What was the process of putting together the album? 

That, along with other incredible timeless moments are what pieced this album together. Songs like “Wait Til The Morning”, a good friend brought the music. “Fall On My Face”, I recorded my own vocals for that song. The song “Home”, my homie Marscame through with the bass track and I freestyled the whole thing. I freestyled “Jeremiah” the same way. At soundcheck, they were playing the guitar and I just started singing the whole song. I got back to the studio, listened to it, decided nothing needed to be changed and that was the first song we recorded in that 30 day frame to finish the album.

Everything was a magical moment. Everything was touched by God, the energy was incredible. Everybody who came in to be a part of this thing knew that we’re no longer trying to make the basketball team, we’re trying to win a championship. It’s time to think differently. Try to be great, not good. It was about maximizing the moments that were magical. We spent more time editing than singing.

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