Following the recent release of her highly praised 3 Nights In Amsterdam mixtape, Auckland-based rapper JessB today shares a new video for single “Bullseye”, out via The Orchard/Sony Music Entertainment New Zealand.
“Bullseye” opens 3 Nights In Amsterdam with plucked notes laid over a sped-up Afro-Trap-style rhythm in an instantly memorable hook. “Do your dance, if you know you something”, is the invitational line from JessB between fast-paced and fiery verses. Today’s visual accompaniment, concepted by Connie Cash (Shaquille Wasasala and Paloma Schneideman), matches the song with unbridled energy and mystique. We see JessB sprinting at pace through a sparse forest, tall spindly trees surrounding her. Strong and stoic, JessB suggests she’s running with intent to find someone or something, to which one can only view the cinematically impressive video to find out.
JessB says on the video & its making: “This music video was conceptualised by myself and Connie Cash, who are a directing duo comprised of two of my good friends Shaquille Wasasala, aka Half Queen (my DJ) and Paloma Schneideman. It was a huge team effort to pull the shoot day together with a small budget, and we think we did a great job of creating a high energy music video to match the song, but with an unusual or unexpected angle compared to what might have been expected.”
As one of New Zealand’s brightest exports, the release of 3 Nights In Amsterdam has propelled JessB’s rising status even higher as she masters new sonic landscapes and styles, pulling from dancehall, reggaeton, garage and electronic influences amid her trademark sass-leaning rhymes and hip-hop flavour. The six-track collection has become a deluxe demonstration of rap and unwavering energy, earning adoration from radio and tastemakers including NME, Acclaim, 10 Magazine and Pilerats. JessB’s infectious fierceness and inclusive verses are unrivalled, her hype-inducing confidence akin to a contemporary Missy Elliot.
The year 2020 has been event-filled for Jess, after sharing mixtape track “Pon It” with a livestream debut on London’s NTS Radio 24-hour on-air festival, a spot in triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown for her feature on Baker Boy’s NIMA award-winning single and video “Meditjin” and an appearance on triple j’s Like A Version for G Flip’s rendition of “Lady Marmalade”. The auspicious rapper was the first female MC to appear on Red Bull 64 Bars in 2017, and has since cultivated her sound across stages in London, Amsterdam, LA, New York and Australia with performances at Venice Biennale, Red Bull Music Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Laneway Festival and Fire Fight Australia, alongside Baker Boy. JessB has taken home the 2019 MTV European Music Award for Best New Zealand Act, garnered strong support from Spotify’s global A1 Hip-Hop playlist to then perform at the flagship Spotify A1 Live event, all the while releasing two acclaimed EPs, New Views and Bloom. Most recently, she has featured on “Flying” as part of NZ rap collective BLKCITY, and had her thrilling triple j Bars of Steel performance go live on Apple Music.
Today, JessB’s journey continues with an awe-inspiring visual for “Bullseye” that accelerates the intoxicating swagger and confidence she displays on and off-screen, in all she creates. A deluxe demonstration of rap and unwavering energy, both “Bullseye” and 3 Nights In Amsterdam exude hype and are just as suited to a dance floor, as it is on stage.