JessB: Feels Like Home (digital outlets)

It is perhaps unusual and maybe even unseemly that a man of a certain age (plus a decade or more) should be so taken with a young woman rapper.

But from the first time I saw her at an Auckland City Limits festival in 2018 I was struck, and over the years was always delighted to introduce her music – and her as a role model – to my uni students.

She was one of the first on a day-long bill and so played to a huge field with about 30 people in it. But she had such confidence that she commanded the stage and performed as if there were 30,000 of us.

In my review of the day I described her as “extraordinary” – she was 18 – and said this: “With her uplifting, energetic meltdown of ragga and hip-hop, she filled the space around her with energy and colour, had P-Money on turntables (you can guess he wouldn't do that for just anybody) and had a small crew of rappers and dancers (yep, Parris Goebel has a lot to answer for) who added breadth and further brightness to a strong set.

“Her name might be too readily mistaken for a few overseas artists but Jess B (only 18 I believe) was an absolute standout on the day . . . so much so that I had to tell her as she hung out later in the day. She seemed as pleasant in person as she was commanding on stage”.

At that time she just has a couple of singles out and so it has been a long wait for this debut album, although her seven-song releases Bloom (2018) and New Views (2019) came close to being albums.

But Feels Like Home is considered her debut in an impressive career which began with her bristling, assertive, P Money-produced Soul Free single seven years ago where she announced, “It's a new chapter . . . the game in need of new rappers”.

Steadily building her reputation internationally and locally since, the statuesque performer (a former netball player with Central Pulse and Northern Mystics) has toured with Lady6, Six60 and Fat Freddy's Drop, opened for Stormzy, played major festivals at home and abroad, done fashion shoots and released singles featuring Yoko-Zuna, Melodownz, Paige, dancehall star Rubi Du, Raiza Biza and others.

She has featured on songs by Stan Walker, the Adults (with Estére) and SWIDT.

JessB has drawn comparisons with Missy Elliot for her righteous lyrics and feminist confidence: the kick-off song here is the assertive Power with kindred spirits Sister Nancy and Sampa the Great opening with, “that's power in my veins let it show, tap into the source . . . feeling like a boss, let it move, let it grow”.

Although half this album's 12 tracks have been previously released, collecting them with new material shows the scope of her singular, signature sound.

She ranges effortlessly from witty dancehall (Ring Ring with Sydney-based Gold Fang and a sly Beyoncé reference: “If you like it better put a ring tone on it, you can call my phone anytime you wanna”) to being flush with romantic love on the steamy rhythm and lyrics of Hold Me Down.

Commando has a woozy and stoner undercurrent, Waiting Patiently is a soul ballad at heart and the addictive Come Find Me (“I'm just finding myself, don't mind me”) is snappy pop.

And when JessB engages with a steely gaze (“Every thing I say . . . that's me, that's real” on Commando) you don't doubt she was born for this.