After a three-year absence, J Hus' third studio album Beautiful and Brutal Yard has returned and has quickly risen to the top of the UK's Official Albums Chart with more than 130 million listens to far. Hus has received his second nomination overall for the 19-track, universally acclaimed record, which is up for the 2023 Mercury Prize for best British album. In order to heighten the anticipation, J Hus today releases the newest visuals from the critically praised album, "Masculine" ft. Burna Boy, which is currently B.A.B.Y.'s second-most streamed song.
Anyone who might have missed his taking the stage for Burna Boy's recent London Stadium performance is in luck: the video for "Masculine," which was exclusively shot in black and white by Nathan Miller, offers us an idea of what happened both backstage and during the energetic performance itself. Observe HERE.
Beautiful and Brutal Yard, which refers to the two sides of Hus and his heart, is named after the slang term for dwelling that has patois influences. It comes after J Hus' sophomore release Big Conspiracy, one of the year's most acclaimed albums globally and the winner of the BRIT Award for Best British Male. He established himself as a rap champion and innovator with the release of his debut studio album Common Sense in 2017. Between the two albums, he secured numerous appearances from some of the biggest names in the music business, including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Skepta, and Dave.
One of the most acclaimed albums of the year is already Beautiful and Brutal Yard. Two weeks after its debut, the album was nominated for a Mercury Prize and has since continued to earn excellent reviews and accolades. Hus sounds "like he is really poised to blow up state-side with this record," according to NPR, who also named it one of their "Favorite Albums of 2023 So Far" on a recent episode of the podcast Popcast.
While NME referred to the album as "a joyous return," HotNewHipHop declared that he had delivered "The Soundtrack To Summer 2023." The energy on Beautiful and Brutal Yard, according to The FADER, "is the kind that emerges when your biggest competitor is yourself," and according to Billboard, "J Hus returns with a vengeance." Perhaps the greatest way to put it was as stated by Uproxx: "Hus uses his third album to give a vivid and thorough description of his beginnings and upbringing, giving equal attention to all that is beautiful and cruel. The excitement of J Hus' storytelling, the album's sonic appeal, and the rapper's overall artistic vision all benefit from this duality. Additionally, Barack Obama selected Drake and hit song "Who Told You" as the top song on his list of "Favorite Songs of Summer." 2023 list.
For Hus, the music is the end all be all. Find the acronym "baby" in the album title Beautiful and Brutal Yard by paying close attention. Music is Hus's creation, regardless of how terrible, beautiful, or in between it is. This is more evident and visible than ever on his third studio album. The scene is ready. The man goes by numerous monikers, including Uju Militer, The Farda, Ezmalay, and The Ugliest (a moniker derived from his clothing line of the same name). There is only one J Hus, though.
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 with CB
10 Alien Girl
11 Fresh Water/Safa Kara
12 "My Baby
13 Problem Fixer"
14 Killy's Ft Popcaan
15 It’s Crazy
16 Bim Bim
17 Come Gully Bun,
18 (The Gambian President) Ft Boss Belly
19Playing chess