José James

José James was born in 1978 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, bandleader, and producer known for blending contemporary jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, R&B, pop, and rock. His official biography describes him as “a jazz artist for the hip-hop generation” and notes that he has released albums through Brownswood, Impulse!, Blue Note, and his own label, Rainbow Blonde Records.

Important albums include The Dreamer, Blackmagic, For All We Know with Jef Neve, No Beginning No End, While You Were Sleeping, Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday, Lean On Me, No Beginning No End 2, On & On, and 1978. His 2024 album 1978 refers to the year he was born and mixes soul, hip-hop, jazz, and related styles.

Well-known songs include “Trouble,” “Come to My Door,” “Desire,” “Lovely Day” featuring Lalah Hathaway, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me,” “Just the Two of Us,” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” Amazon Music and Apple Music list several of these among his popular tracks.

José James is known for modernizing vocal jazz by bringing it together with hip-hop rhythms, soul production, spoken word, and classic jazz influences, creating a sound that appeals to both jazz audiences and contemporary R&B/soul listeners.