Passages like “Who You Are”’s, “My pockets ain’t fat, they’re just big-boned/I sweet-talk my chicks on the flip phone/She wanna send me nudes, but ain’t no WhatsApp on a brick phone” would fit right in on a breakout mixtape from a New Yorker. J Hus has cited 50 Cent as a major influence, and on “Good Luck Chale” he channels mid-period Cam’Ron. The production on Common Sense also pulls from a wide swath of source material, but J Hus himself is firmly rooted in hip-hop.

The shifting musical styles underscore Hus’ own versatility he flits from a lilting sing-song to something more gruff and guttural easily and without hesitation. (Jae5, the producer responsible for crafting and expanding J Hus’ sound, spent three years in his parents’ native Ghana, making for another important connection to the continent’s pop music.) The Afrobeat threads run through Common Sense, alongside grime’s menace (see “Clartin”), contemplative pianos (“Who You Are”), or the sheen of turn-of-the-century Roc-A-Fella (the title track). When he was a child, Hus (for “hustle”) accompanied her to parties where he was introduced to music from Africa. J Hus was born Momodou Jallow in London to a mother who had emigrated from Gambia in her 20s.

But there’s more than that: J Hus’ debut serves as a unique coming-of-age story, one that should resonate on both sides of the Atlantic. His debut album, Common Sense folds all these influences into a world that is specific and engrossing. Bush-era hip-hop, tinges of grime-into a coherent, singular vision. Enthusiastic coverage of J Hus has leaned heavily on his ability to blend a variety of musical styles-Afrobeat, dancehall, W. He can hit complicated patterns, pack color into his writing, and harmonize more effectively than artists with decades of experience. His music is boldly personal, and he’s a technically precise, adaptive vocalist. If you’re a rap fan, at some point this year, someone is going to recommend that you listen to J Hus, a 21-year-old from East London who raps with a gravity beyond his years.

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