A Chicago native, Jesse Boykins III has been developing music since the 4th grade, and at 16, he was selected 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 cultivated his skills as a writer, performer, arranger, producer and vocalist.

In 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 much collaboration with contemporaries such as, The Foreign Exchange, Theophilus London, MeLo-X, Machine Drum, and Phantom Lover, Jesse Boykins III 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, which granted him the distinction of being one of the first Independent Artists to premiere on 106 & Park.

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. 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.”