J Hus: Common Sense review – a rich, zeitgeisty debut

The humid mishmash of cultures and sounds on J Hus’s debut is London incarnate: bashment, “UK afrobeats”, grime, hip-hop, R&B and garage are all manifest. While Common Sense finds the Stratford singer/rapper going indulgently long at 17 tracks, the quality is undoubtedly consistent – be it the richly produced Bouf Daddy, the dancehall-inflected, hazy Fisherman or the sun-drenched Good Time, featuring Burna Boy. J Hus imbues an admirable introspection to his bangers, as likely to bring in his Ghanaian heritage or consider his past illicit behaviours as he is to spit wry bars on smoking and partying. This is 2017’s zeitgeist Notting Hill carnival soundtrack.