The first thing you'll notice about musician Jacob Banks is his voice — a mesmerizingly deep baritone with timbre so rich, you can almost feel it wrapping you up in song.

But that's not all the 27-year-old R&B singer brings to the table. The U.K.-hailing artist was born in Nigeria but grew up in Birmingham, England and got into music seriously about seven years ago. After years of releasing well-received EPs and performing for fans both across Europe and in America, Banks has released his major label debut album, Village, out now via Interscope Records. Banks poured all of his influences growing up — his Nigerian roots, his love of blues, his stories with friends — into creating this debut. Even the title of the album comes from the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child."

It's taken some time to get the music just right, but Banks is grateful for the path that led him to this moment. "I've always strived for the feeling that I have now," Banks says. "I didn't want to make an album that I was dependent on to solidify my position as a human being.

—
NPR