BJ The Chicago Kid Announces Debut New Zealand Show

Proudly repping Chi-Town on the international stage, US hip-hop and R&B superstar BJ The Chicago Kid aka Bryan James Sledge will soon be touching down in Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time ever, headlining Auckland's The Tuning Fork on 13th April 2025. Collaborator with a staggering array of some of the biggest names in hip-hop — including Freddie Gibbs, Warren G, Chance the Rapper, Anderson .Paak, Rick Ross, Joey Badass and Kendrick Lamar — BJ The Chicago Kid achieved early success contributing his golden-toned vocals to Kanye West's 2006 track 'Impossible', featured on the Mission: Impossible III soundtrack.

Unveiling his debut album Pineapple Now-Laters in 2012, BJ The Chicago Kid's 2013 anthem 'Smokin' And Ridin' reached the ears of millions of Grand Theft Auto V gamers from 2013 onwards, preempting his star-studded Motown long players In My Mind (2016) and 1123 (2019). Recorded with producer Yeti Beats (Doja Cat) and live band at Memphis, Tennessee's Royal Studios, BJ The Chicago Kid's soulful new album Gravy has just been reissued in an expanded Deluxe edition. Check out the making of mini-documentary below and head along to witness the magic live early next year...

BJ The Chicago Kid
Sunday 13th April - The Tuning Fork, Auckland
Presales available from noon, Friday 18th October
General public tickets on sale from noon, Monday 21st October via moshtix.co.nz

Hit play on 'Spend The Night' featuring Coco Jones, from BJ The Chicago Kid's latest album Gravy...

Groove along with BJ The Chicago Kid's 'Turnin Me Up' from his 2016 album In My Mind...

Watch the clip for BJ The Chicago Kid's 'Church' featuring Chance The Rapper and Buddy, also from 2016's In My Mind...

Here's BJ The Chicago Kid's smash hit from the GTA V soundtrack 'Smokin' and Ridin'' featuring Freddie Gibbs and Problem...

Check out a behind the scenes mini-documentary about the making of BJ The Chicago Kid's new album Gravy...

Press release:

Grammy-nominated R&B soul singer and songwriter BJ the Chicago Kid will be performing live in New Zealand for the first time on Sun 13 April 2025 at The Tuning Fork, Auckland.

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, BJ first touched hearts with his debut independent album Pineapple Now-Laters in 2012 but quickly gained increased attention the following year with songs like "Honey" and "Good Luv'n" featuring frequent collaborators Freddie Gibbs and Problem.

With gospel-soaked vocals, 2014 proved to be BJ's breakout year when he appeared on SchoolBoy Q's Grammy award-winning single "Studio" and released his fourth mixtape, The M.A.F.E. Project, which included rap assists from Q, Gibbs, and Smoke DZA.

In 2016, BJ released his impressive major-label debut, In My Mind, which earned the son of the Windy City three Grammy noms, including Best R&B album. Across his career, BJ's soul-stirring talent has garnered everything from cosigns and collaborations with Kanye West, Chance The Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Solange, and Eric Bellinger.

"Forgot Your Name" stands to continue to accelerate BJ's success in 2023. The premiere single is the first output of a multi-track project titled Gravy, in collaboration with producer Yeti Beats (Doja Cat's musical right hand). The album is an organic music match made in heaven that materialized in less than a week.

BJ and Yeti's latest project “Gravyˮ was recorded with a live band in Memphis, Tennessee at Royal Studios, the home of soul legend Al Green whose '70s mellow grooves served as inspiration for the album's overall sound. Features include Andra Day, Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire, and a well-rounded cast of friends.