The son of the critically acclaimed saxophonist, Manu Dibango, French-Cameroonian producer, James BKS is changing the game with new track New Breed, with a little help from the legendary Q-Tip, ever-effortless Idris Elba and rap powerhouse Little Simz.  

The first artist to be signed to Idris Elba’s music label, New Breed pays homage to BKS’ heritage, roots and identity. With production collaborations with the likes of Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg and Mr Eazi, BKS brings together a unique blend of hip-hop bass, Swahili gospel and Cameroonian percussion and rhythm, creating a track that is equally universal. 

Speaking about the collaborative process, BKS says,  "Little Simz, Idris Elba, Q-Tip, and me strongly and proudly represent the New Breed movement, a different way to approach music with no borders, no judgment, no labels. We have learned from our past mistakes and victories and our eyes are on Africa, while in the meantime we embrace our own personal paths, respectively in the UK for Little Simz and Idris Elba, in the U.S. for Q-Tip and in France for me"

Within Idris Elba’s playful rhyming lies a powerful message about ownership, control and reclamation, “We bout to show you that everything you stole is living and breathing and coming right back at ya!... We cutting the throat of the old system, so if you ain’t with us you better run”, whilst Little Simz questions the current sociopolitical climate with her lyrics, “How many leaders does it take to be free?... My heritage comes from royalty. Crowns a throne and gold chains, more pain and nothing’s changed, ‘cause we’re still in chains.’” The message is clear: this is an ode to Africa’s past, present and future.

Following the success of his debut track, Kwele, featuring Allan Kingdom and Manu Dibango, New Breed is a song that cements BKS as a pioneering force in the music scene. 

Listen to the single here: New Breed