Jesse who was born in Chicago on February 20, 1985 spent most of his childhood in Jamaica and Miami before spreading roots as a teenager in New York City. In his youth Jesse spent most of his time outside of school learning valuable life lessons from his family. His aunts and uncles taught him the value of setting goals for himself; his grandmother a respect for spirituality; his mother a sense of passion and the importance of staying dedicated and focused in order to reach his goals and from all of them was grown an adoration and reverence for music.
Jesse’s own musical creations began in the 4th grade. He developed a talent for hearing sounds in his environment and using them as a guide to create melodies that he would record on his karaoke machine. It was around this time that he began to seek out music outside of what he had been exposed to growing up. He sought out soul artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway; enigmatic artists such as Bjork, Sade and Pink Floyd and realizing from them the impact of words in their songs he began to delve into the writings of Shakespeare and Langston Hughes. From them he learned how to create depth in his lyrics. He studied their use of metaphors and imagery, and examined how they used these techniques to create stories and worked these methods into his own personal style.
At 16 Jesse was selected out of the nation to be 1 of 13 singers in the Grammy Jazz Ensemble, where he was discovered and later recruited by The New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music. While studying at The New School University, Jesse worked on refining his skills as a writer, performer, arranger, producer and vocalist. He studied with classical trainer Kenneth Kamal Scott and soul artist Bilal. He also created bonds with other talented creative people who became integral parts of his team and dedicated musicians forming his supporting band, The Beauty Created.
In early 2008 Jesse entered into the mainstream music scene with his first release Dopamine: My Life On My Back. His first single from that album, Tabloids peaked at #2 on the Billboard Video Monitor. His ambitious follow-up release later that year, The Beauty Created affirmed critics’ acclaim for Dopamine while solidifying Jesse’s defining place in the history of soul music. With the success of both albums, music videos and many collaborations with contemporaries such as The Foreign Exchange, Theophilus London, MeLo-X, Machine Drum, and Phantom Lover he has gained international recognition and built a loyal worldwide following.
Jesse’s talent and hard work was also recognized by BET in 2010 when they tapped him to be a major component in their BET Music Matters™ campaign granting him the distinction of being one of the first Independent Artists to premiere a video on their popular show 106 & Park. Jesse was further rewarded by earning a nomination for a 2010 Soul Train Award, which can be largely credited to his release of the video, Amorous (dir. Jarrett Woo) and his worldwide Romantic Movement Tour that year.
Currently Jesse is completing his third album Love Apparatus with producer Machine Drum. With the lead single B4 the Night is Thru, released on Robert “Bobbito” García’s vinyl label Alala Records, they delighted fans and critics alike with the evolution of his sound. Jesse considers himself a musical explorer. While recording Love Apparatus Jesse traveled worldwide marking new experiences and exploring new sounds and incorporating that into the project. In his own words he says, “I create World Soul that marks moments in time. Each time I introduce new music to my fans I want it to become a defining part of their lives as much as it is a part of mine.”
B4 the Night Is Thru
Jesse Boykins III Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you will be the one, and I will be your drum
B4 the night is thru, I will walk to you
you will be the one, and I will be your drum
As innocent as a smile my way
no idea I'd be in heaven today
lips that say so much without a word
I'm talking to myself working up the nerve
to stay in arms length so I could be heard
I'm talking to myself working up the nerve
to stand in arms length so I could be heard
As if you didn't seem to notice me
pressures building feel my body beat
my lips cant seem to find a single curve
her look is timeless, I'm such a nerd
I'm talking to myself working up the nerve
to stay in arms length so I could be heard
I'm talking to myself working up the nerve
to stand in arms length so I could be heard
X3
The song "B4 the Night Is Thru" by Jesse Boykins III is a romantic tune that talks about the intense attraction felt towards a special someone. The artist expresses his passion and eagerness to be with this person, singing that before the night is over, he will walk towards her and become the rhythm of her life. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the urgency of his desires and the strength of his emotions towards the woman he loves.
The lyrics describe the artist's fondness for a girl who caught his attention with her captivating smile and timeless beauty, leaving him in awe and unable to find the right words. He admires her from afar but finds himself working up the courage to approach her, hoping to be heard and make a connection. The song suggests that sometimes, love can be intimidating, but it's worth taking risks to pursue genuine happiness.
Overall, "B4 the Night Is Thru" paints a picture of a man who is utterly and undoubtedly smitten, ready to do anything to be with his love interest.
Line by Line Meaning
B4 the night is thru, I will walk to you
By the end of the night, I will come to you
you will be the one, and I will be your drum
You will be my love and I will be the one to always support you
As innocent as a smile my way
You looked at me innocently and smiled
no idea I'd be in heaven today
I never thought I'd feel so happy and content today
lips that say so much without a word
Your lips express so much even without speaking
her look is timeless, I'm such a nerd
I can't get over how beautiful you are and I feel foolish for it
I'm talking to myself working up the nerve
I'm having a conversation with myself, gathering the courage to talk to you
to stay in arms length so I could be heard
To be close enough to you so that you can hear what I'm saying
As if you didn't seem to notice me
It seems like you haven't taken notice of me
pressures building feel my body beat
I'm starting to feel nervous and my heart rate is increasing
my lips cant seem to find a single curve
I'm struggling to smile
to stand in arms length so I could be heard
To be close enough to you so that you can hear what I'm saying
Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MoneyOverFame
This is always the soundtrack to my summer.
Viintage T
Even though I’ve watched this video for years, and have all the albums, just keep coming back to see the beautiful melanin.
Luis Fernando Siller Almazan
The atmosphere, the music, this Is exactly how every weekend must be
wot i di
This song is exactly what love sounds like.
GoddessKia7
Mad I'm just finding out about JB3rd! Loving him thus far! An amazing artist with so much variety with his songs! I'm in <3!!! THIS is REAL music! THIS is REAL R&B!!!! JB3rd is about to BLOW UUUUUUUUP!!!!!!
Bruna AJs
Amo esse clipe, essa música, e o Jesse!!!
Marlon DeLancy
Jesse is that dude! Cannot wait for the new album..he will get the shine he deserves!!
Ana Quinins
Perdidamente apaixonada nessa música 🥰🥰🥰🥰
CHANEL SATTARA
New goal, work with Jesse Boykins & his producers, in heaven.
Tsthe Shooter
He is the producer i believe