As he alternates between French and English on the infectious “Foreign Exchange Hustler”, Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist Gibril confidently shows off his worldly ambitions, a central theme throughout his new The Foreigner JJC Deluxe album, which details “the real-life story of a young African artist while also tackling false misconceptions about Africa while providing a positive world view of hip-hop.” It’s a fun narrative-driven release that’s full of perky and infectious tracks like “Foreign Exchange Hustler”, where an infectiously simple piano/synth-laden melody ascends and descends over occasional synth and guitar flourishes. The loopy sing-along tendency of “Bad Girl” provides another highlight from the album, which can be streamed in full below:
