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Sonnyjim

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Sonnyjim
OriginBirmingham, England
GenresHip-hop, alternative hip-hop
Occupation(s)Rapper, Producer
Years active2005- present
LabelsEatGood Records, Daupe!, Blah Records
Websitehttps://sonnyjim.bandcamp.com/music

Sonnyjim is a rapper and hip-hop producer from Birmingham, England. Since first releasing music in 2006 he has steadily built an underground following. Reviewers have noted his laid back delivery and lyrics of luxury and excess, alongside his consistent collaborations with prominent hip hop artists from the US and UK.

His 2016 album Mud in My Malbec, and the 2022 release White Girl Wasted with producer The Purist, brought Sonnyjim significantly wider attention.

History & Career

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2006 - 2016: Early Releases and Mud in My Malbec

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Sonnyjim is from Birmingham, England, and is of Indian heritage.[1] He started rapping in the mid-2000s UK hip-hop scene, appearing on mixtapes alongside British artists like Stig of the Dump and Jehst.[2][3] Over the years he slowly built up an underground following, with releases like 2013's Psychonaut and the Purple Patch series, as well as founding his own label EatGood Records.[4][5]

Reviewers have noted Sonnyjim's laid back and nonchalant vocal delivery, with intricate lyrics and themes of luxury and indulgence. His early influences include UK rappers like Skinnyman and U.S. east coast hip hop like Jay-Z, Nas and Roc Marciano.[6][7][8][9]

Throughout his career he has rapped with and produced for various noted U.S. hip hop artists, including MF DOOM, Jay Electronica, DJ Premier, Madlib, Roc Marciano and Buckwild.[10] Labels he has been involved with include Daupe! and Blah Records as well as collaborations with artists on Griselda Records like Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn.[11]

In 2007 he won the UK 'End of the Weak' rap competition title.[12] In 2008, he released Trading Standards featuring collaborations with prominent UK hip-hop artists such as Jehst, Stig of the Dump, and Soweto Kinch.[13]

His 2016 Mud in My Malbec, including features with New York rappers Westside Gunn and Heems, gained considerable underground attention.[5][12]

2016 - Present: White Girl Wasted and International Collaborations

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After releasing Mud in My Malbec, Sonnyjim went on a run of collaborations with American rappers. In 2018, he linked up with long-term acquaintance The Purist after returning from Croatia's Outlook Festival. Their sessions resulted in the single Barz Simpson, which would eventually grow into the joint project White Girl Wasted.[8][14] The song title was inspired by the cartoon character Bart Simpson, the rapper David Bars and the saxophonist Gary Bartz.[1]

After recording Barz Simpson, the duo decided to contact MF DOOM for a guest verse on a whim, as they thought the track sounded like his style. Doom liked the track and recorded a verse, but soon got back to Sonnyjim and asked to license the track for an Adult Swim compilation. He and The Purist declined, but kept the track to themselves in order to expand their collaboration into a full album release.[6]

White Girl Wasted dropped in 2022, after the single version of Barz Simpson. The Purist's eclectic sample-based productions and Sonny's laid back punchlines, alongside the posthumous MF Doom feature, gained further attention in both US and UK hip hop media. That included positive coverage from prominent music publications like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and The Fader.[6][1] It has since seen several vinyl editions sell out including alternate covers and an instrumental version.[15]

In 2023, Sonnyjim made an appearance for a freestyle session on New York radio's Hot 97 show Real Late with Peter Rosenberg.[16] That year he also released his first album on Blah Records - Ortolan and Armagnac - with Blah founder Lee Scott.[17]

In 2024 Sonnyjim, Foreign Beggars member PAV4N and Indian producer Kartik, formed Pataka Boys and released the album Thugs from Amritsar. Sonny and PAV4N travelled to India to work with Kartik, visiting the city of Amritsar after which the project was named.[18]

Thugs From Amritsar made The Guardian’s list of Five Albums You May Have Missed in 2024.[19] Reviewers called the album “colourful, thrilling and explosive,” and “ridiculously entertaining”, noting the cultural and lyrical shifts between English and Punjabi raps and the globally influenced soundscapes.[20][18]

Discography

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EPs[15][21]

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  • Soul Trader E.P. (2005)
  • Trading Standards CD (2008)
  • The Purple Patch (2010)
  • The Psychonaut EP (2011)
  • The Executive Branch (2012) with Wizard
  • How To Tame Lions (2014) with Leaf Dog
  • Death by Misadventure (2018) with Conway the Machine
  • Money Green Leather Sofa (2018) with Camouflage Monk
  • Spencer for Higher (2018) with Vic Spencer
  • Spencer for Higher 2 (2019) with Vic Spencer
  • No Visible Means Of Income (2020) with Giallo Point
  • The Chemistry Must Be Respected (2020) with Illinformed
  • Tailor Made Ostrich (2020) with Must Volkoff
  • A Joint Venture (2021) with Kev Brown
  • Coke Le Roc (2021) with Buckwild
  • Polo Palace (2021) with Juganaut and Da Flyy Hooligan
  • Porridge (2021) with Robert and The Purist
  • The Real Bobby Dazzler (2021)
  • New Phone Who Dis (2021) with Machacha
  • Spencer for Higher 4 (2021) with Vic Spencer
  • No Visible Means of Income 2 (2022) with Giallo Point
  • Ortolan and Armagnac (2023) with Lee Scott
  • Exotic Peng Collection (2024)
  • Effortless, Almost Dead (2024) with Kong The Artisan

Singles

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  • Barz Simpson (2022) – Featuring MF DOOM & Jay Electronica
  • Dude, Where’s My Car? (2023) with Lee Scott
  • Life Is Great (2023)
  • Chun King (2024) with Statik Selektah
  • Bappi Lahiri (2024) as Pataka Boys
  • Megaloblast (2024) as Pataka Boys
  • Triple Beams (2024)

Sources

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  1. ^ a b c Tagat, Anurag (2022-09-19). "U.K. Hip-Hop Duo White Girl Wasted Call on MF DOOM, DJ Premier and More on Debut Album". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  2. ^ "Purist & Sonnyjim on psychedelics, UK hip hop & working with MF Doom". Huck. 2022-09-05. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  3. ^ Fish (gingerslim), Tim (2017-02-28). "SonnyJim: Interview". Brapp News. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  4. ^ Radio, N. T. S. "SonnyJim | Discover music on NTS". NTS Radio. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  5. ^ a b Fish (gingerslim), Tim (2017-02-28). "SonnyJim: Interview". Brapp News. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  6. ^ a b c "Sonnyjim / The Purist: White Girl Wasted". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  7. ^ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; ClashMusic (2022-11-18). "Magnetism, Peer Pressure, Pimping - Sonnyjim, The Purist Interviewed Features". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2024-01-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ a b "Watch Sonnyjim's and the Purist's video for "Barz Simpson" feat. MF DOOM and Jay Electronica". The FADER. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  9. ^ SONNY JIM ( UK HIP HOP ARTIST) // KILLA KELA PODCAST, retrieved 2024-01-16
  10. ^ Jones, Grant (2024-01-15). "Sonnyjim & Buckwild :: Coke Le Roc – RapReviews". Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  11. ^ Sonnyjim interview - Bucked Up #200, retrieved 2024-01-16
  12. ^ a b STREET CULTURE YOUTUBE (2022-09-06). SONNY JIM ( UK HIP HOP ARTIST) // KILLA KELA PODCAST. Retrieved 2025-05-06 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "SonnyJim – Trading Standards Mix-CD [Soul Trader] – Britishhiphop.co.uk". www.britishhiphop.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  14. ^ Ways, Curious. ""Neither of us like the term UK hip hop": Sonnyjim and The Purist on carving their own lane". HUNGER TV. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  15. ^ a b "SONNYJIM". SONNYJIM. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  16. ^ DAILY, GRM (2023-12-12). "Birmingham rapper Sonnyjim goes in on Peter Rosenberg freestyle". GRM Daily. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  17. ^ O'Sullivan, Brandon. "Wednesday Roundups #32: 7 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time". www.shatterthestandards.com. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  18. ^ a b Juan Ep Is Life (2023-12-07). Sonnyjim explains the UK Hip Hop scene and working with MF DOOM | Juan EP Is Life. Retrieved 2025-05-06 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Biddles, Claire; D'Souza, Shaad; Allan, Jennifer Lucy; Horton, Adrian; Joshi, Tara; Martin, Lauren; Petridis, Alexis; Pritchard, Will (2024-12-27). "Desi rap, deep jungle and truck-stop concrète: five-star albums you may have missed this year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  20. ^ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (2024-07-12). "Pataka Boys Shine On New Album 'Thugs From Amritsar' | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2025-05-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
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