While the Motown generation continually berates contemporary R&B and Soul as having lost its authenticity and creativity, an underground movement has emerged to address the need for a soulful sound that is more about music and feeling and less about image. The result is neo-soul- a hybrid of 1970s-influenced soul music with influences from jazz, funk, hip hop and house music that entered mainstream culture in the 1990s. In his EP, Dopamine: My Life On My Back, Jesse Boykins III follows in the footsteps of veterans like Maxwell and Musiq Soulchild to present a jazzy sound that is distinctly old-school, yet modern.

Although only 22 years-old, Boykins has been writing, performing, and producing music for most of his life. Growing up in Chicago, Jamaica, and Miami, he developed a taste for Motown Classics, R&B, reggae, hip-hop and salsa. Boykins cites Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Sizzla, Bilal, D’Angelo, and Musiq Soulchild as his influences; he undeniably channels the energy of Musiq Soulchild, as many tracks on “Dopamine” are reminiscent of Soulchild’s past work. However, through innovative musical arrangements and a soothing voice, Boykins successfully creates a sound of his own.

Boykins’ first track, “Tabloids,” introduces us to the artist’s unique sound with a combination of tribal sounding drumbeats and electronic sound effects. A playful trumpet highlights the fluidity of Boykin’s voice as he sings about escaping life’s complications. Another notable track is “Baby I Don’t Know,” which features an interesting blend of guitar, trumpet, and beat-boxing as he wistfully sings of lost love, while displaying the range of his voice. In “The Sea,” Boykins demonstrates his ability to create moods and emotions, as he croons about going “deeper into the sea;” the listener actually gets the feeling of sinking deep into oblivion. “Sobriety” and “Amorous” are also solid tracks that display his signature sound and unique combination of modern electronic and old-school jazz. Boykins does an excellent job of fusing various types of sound into one that is his own.