Black British Music

Jim has been on my radar for a while now. I even reviewed his single “Stick” as one of my songs of the week — the pop rap mixture, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Still, walking into this album, I didn’t know what to expect. I have a soft spot for upcoming UK artists like Kibo, who are talented, hungry, and committed to the art of making music, and Jim fits right in.

The album opens with Jim reflecting on his past. It’s an interlude about what he’s been through, and the most heartbreaking moment — his sister’s passing. He’s touched on this before on “Nothing’s Changed (!)”, but here it feels heavier, more central. He also addresses co-producing and writing “Sprinter” for Dave and Central Cee — the song that basically kicked off everything else for him.

“Stick” I’ve already talked about in depth, but it’s still a head-bop magnet. Purely positive, and I’ll come back to that word — positive — because it threads through the entire project.

“New David Bowie” follows, built around a vocal sample, with Jim talking about living in the moment and having fun. The composition here feels unique, almost daring — and it shows how this whole project lives in that sweet spot between pop and rap. He’s not stuck in one lane, he’s building his own.

“Life of a Sinner” has one of those quotables that stick with you:

She don’t like no rapper, so I told her I’m a singer.

Then “Sun” keeps the vibe going — more warm, breezy, summer energy. You can almost feel sunlight on your face listening to it:

The sun (yeah) comes up in the mornin’, I’m pouring up rum (yeah)

Another night where the party ain’t done and I feel numb.

But then the mood shifts. “06 Wayne Rooney” is darker, more confessional, Jim opening up about his struggles and lowest points. The following track, “Issues of Trust,” digs into his complicated relationship with his father and the grief tied to his sister. He repeats the phrase like he’s stuck in it, unable to move past it — raw, unfiltered, almost uncomfortable in its honesty:

I still cannot talk about it, runnin’, runnin’ and runnin’…

That moment of vulnerability makes the next track, “Father,” feel almost mischievous in comparison. It’s witty, playful — dating a girl who also didn’t have a father — and it lands perfectly. Back to positivity.

From there, Jim keeps dancing between intimacy and fun. “Don’t Be A Bitch (DBAB)” is personal but catchy, with a wavy sample. “Big Time Forward” continues the pattern, emotional but vibey, and quickly became one of my favorites.

Then there’s “I Just Banged a Snus in Canada Water.” Odd, disorganized, but beautiful — he’s reflecting on never wanting to go back to where he came from, mentally or physically.

The big feature arrives on “3x” with Dave. Jim pours out his emotions about isolation, while Dave cuts through with a short but powerful verse:

Told Jim you already did your sister proud.

That line alone gave me chills.

“Tiger Driver 91” is my personal favorite production-wise — the beat is insane, the song endlessly replayable. A lighter moment about his relationships, but still layered.

Then comes “Tatted My Body”, with the line:

Tatted my body for all of the scars that I couldn’t erase now.

And finally, “Brief.” A full-circle moment. Jim reflects again on his sister’s passing, his mental state, drugs as coping mechanisms, and the sense of being lost. It’s heavy, and it feels like the curtain dropping on everything he’s been carrying.

What I take from this project is simple: Jim wants to spread positivity, and he succeeds. You hear it in the breezy tracks, the fun, the wit. But underneath, he hasn’t fully healed — he scratches at the pain but doesn’t dive all the way in. Even surface-level, it’s powerful, because you can feel what he’s holding back.

This mixtape impressed me enough that I had it on repeat the entire time I was on vacation — every car ride, every chance I had, I tried to put people on. The message is pure: stay positive. If Jim can do it after everything he’s endured, then so can you.

This one is more emotional than his earlier work, but also more experimental — a genuine mixture of pop and rap, woven together with his own voice. And that’s exactly why it works.

Thanks.