Big Conspiracy
“I was fresh from a war but it was internal/Every day I encounter another hurdle,” J Hus spits as he closes *Big Conspiracy* on the piano-led “Deeper Than Rap”. That war, and the highs and lows of Momodou Jallow’s life, make for a mesmerising second album. Lyrics address his incarceration, street life, God, violence, his African roots and colonialism. From others those themes would feel heavy, but delivered in J Hus’ effortless voice, with a flow that switches frequently, they stun. The references are playful, too—Mick Jagger and Woody Woodpecker are mentioned on “Fortune Teller” and Destiny’s Child get a recurrent role in the standout “Fight for Your Right”. Hus is backed by inventive instrumentation encompassing delicate strings, Afrobeats, reggae and hip-hop and nods to garage and Dr. Dre’s work with 50 Cent, while Koffee and Burna Boy contribute to the celebratory feel on “Repeat” and “Play Play”. This is a record as diverse, smart and vibrant as anything coming from the UK right now.
The London rapper’s second album is smoother, preciser, and more measured. We see J Hus as a lost son of Gambia, an adult-in-progress, a talented pop polymath, and just a guy who has a lot of sex.
With club-ready tracks sharing space with hard-won introspection, J Hus' second is a brilliant, career-defining collection
J Hus must be feeling seasick from all the ups and downs of his career. In 2015, as the Stratford musician born Momodou Jallow was starting out, he spent time in Feltham Prison and was stabbed five times afterwards. By 2017, his fantastic debut album Common Sense was playing a major part in expanding UK rap’s horizons to include African and Caribbean sounds, earning gold sales figures and Brit and Mercury nominations.
Falling victim to an album leak didn’t strip ‘Big Conspiracy’ of its potency – Hus is just an essential part of UK music as he was three years ago
London rapper J Hus broke through with 2017's Common Sense, his gold-selling debut full-length that helped define the Afro-swing style.
2019 was far from kind to J Hus. The East London rapper lost his freedom, sentenced to jail after being caught in possession of a knife outside
More introspective and subdued following a spell in prison – though with libido intact – J Hus is still masterfully blending styles