R&B newcomer Gabriel Jacoby has released his debut EP,Gutta Child, via Pulse Records.
The eight-track set is a collection of sounds and influences genetically coded in the Tampa native’s musical DNA. He channels the R&B, funk, hip-hop, and pop of the 2000s into a sound that feels familiar but with a fresh spark.
“For my first ever body of work, I wanted to introduce myself both with honesty and with sonics that felt like a refreshing culmination of the music I love from blues, to funk, to Dirty South era hip-hop, to R&B,” says Jacoby. “I’ve never wanted to be another derivative or a bootleg version of the artists I love – I wanted to be purely me – and it’s taken me about a decade to develop a sound and skillset that I confidently say accomplishes that.”
He continues, “I also wanted the world to hear this body of work and know who I am as a person – a proud southerner who has been raised in the ghettos of South Carolina and Tampa, and a lover of music who has insistently pursued perfection and authenticity in my work.”
Fittingly, the EP opens with “Hello,” a hip-hop soul-flavored bop, where Jacoby revisits vignettes of his late-adolescent escapades.
“Yeah, I said hello / Howdy doody, girl, I’m Gabriel / I don’t wanna play no games, let’s find a room and lock the door,” he sings on the somewhat theatrical track. He later confesses, “But wе should keep this on the low / I’on need my mama askin’ me questions ’bout where I go.”
“Bootleg,” featuring veteran Tampa rapper Tom G, is driven by a percussion similar to Justin Timberlake‘s “Like I Love You,” produced by The Neptunes.
He softens the production on “Baby,” a tender track where he courts a love interest and assures her that he’ll do right by her. “Can I show you off and put you on like I know that you deserve? / Can I give you my attention? / Baby, show me where it hurts,” he croons softly.
“‘Baby’ is more of a straight-ahead R&B song from the perspective of a more mature version of myself,” Jacoby explained. “This song serves to tell you who I am as a partner, and that as long as you’re with me, I’ll always give you the respect you deserve.”
The romance flows into the funky groove “The One,” where he sings, “I’ve waited on someone like you / To move with me, darlin / Until the morning arrives.” Jacoby noted, “I wanted to write something happy for everyone to feel good about and love. Seems like lately no one feels comfortable to groove, so I created this to give the people what they need, a reason to be themselves, no matter who’s watchin’.”
Jacoby is currently supporting alt-R&B singer Khamari on his sold-out To Dry A Tear Tour. They have upcoming stops in Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and more before wrapping up Dec. 2 in Los Angeles.
Stream Gabriel Jacoby’s new EP Gutta Child below.