Vinyl - Jianbo - Everything For The Family
Tracklist
Description
Everything For The Family marks a pivotal and deeply personal chapter in Jianbo’s career. Having built a loyal following through acclaimed self-released EPs Yellow Peril and Tears In My X.O. Sauce, with underground favourites like Mongkok Madness and Chinatown Trouble (a sequel to the previous year’s Chinatown Alley), Everything for the Family sees Jianbo at his most vulnerable and expansive. Written and recorded in the wake of the sudden passing of his childhood friend Dominic Morgan, the project is dedicated to Jianbo’s chosen family — the friends, collaborators and kin who have shaped his world.
In January 2024, Jianbo had just spent the previous months recording an EP, collaborating with new producers VVilhelm (producer and member of jazz group Ebi Soda) and London vocalist and producer Hilts. His first tour was scheduled for April, with eight dates across China, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea. The day before the video shoot for new single Cradle 2 The Sky, he received the news about Morgan’s passing. Whilst his world came crashing down, Jianbo chose to press on with the shoot.
The tour’s future became uncertain. Still, Jianbo moved forward, inviting friends Nammy Wams and Hilts to join him on the road, along with friend and photographer Humothy documenting their journey. As he travelled through Asia, navigating logistical challenges and personal grief, Jianbo and Hilts began writing and recording new music in studios they found themselves in along the way. Back home in London, Jianbo returned to the studio with VVilhelm and Hilts. He spent the following months recording, re-recording, tweaking, and inviting more friends and collaborators into the fold.
Speaking on the project, Jianbo shares: "This record is for the people who held me up when everything else fell apart. It started in hotel rooms and makeshift studios across Asia and ended in my bedroom in South East London. It’s about grief, brotherhood, and what happens when you lose someone you thought would always be there. Every verse, every voice on this record, is family to me."
Across the mixtape’s 12 tracks, Jianbo explores the many shades of grief, blending grime, jazz, post-punk and orchestral flourishes with Jianbo’s signature cinematic storytelling.
A landmark release for both Jianbo and label partner Eastern Margins, Everything For The Family cements Jianbo as one of the most distinctive and boundary-pushing voices in the UK underground, fusing sound system culture, Hong Kong cinema, and unflinching personal storytelling into something wholly his own.
Born and raised in South East London, Chinese-Vietnamese-British artist Jianbo is a standout voice emerging from the UK’s rap scene. Fusing grime and garage with post-punk, jazz, and orchestral music, Jianbo’s work is a reflection of the world that shaped him: a patchwork of underground energy, immigrant narratives, and raw storytelling.
Jianbo has earned a growing cult following through his breakout EPs Yellow Peril and Tears In My XO Sauce, as well as collaborations with Nix Northwest, Denham Audio, and BABii, carving out a distinct space in the UK underground with his intricate lyricism and versatile sound. His early singles, Mongkok Madness and Chinatown Alley, established his signature aesthetic, where the vivid cinematic textures of Wong Kar Wai and the boldness of classic martial arts films shape both his music and visuals.
With each release, Jianbo continues to push the boundaries of UK rap, standing as a voice for a generation of East Asian artists who grew up without seeing themselves reflected in the music they loved.