Jacob Banks

British singer Jacob Banks is known for his velvety baritone and innovative mix of classic R&B, electronic music, reggae, hip-hop and more. • Born in Nigeria, Jacob Banks moved to Birmingham, England, as a teenager. After earning a degree in civil engineering, he headed to London to start playing open-mic gigs. He told his parents it was for a work placement. • While he grew up writing poetry, he didn’t start playing guitar until he was 20. He learned from YouTube tutorials and began writing songs for fun. • He resolved to take music seriously after his best friend from university died at age 21. • Banks landed in the UK Top 40 in 2013, when he sang on "Alive", a hit single by the electronic duo Chase & Status. • He released a pair of EPs—2013’s The MonologueThe Paradox—before signing with Interscope Records. His debut album, Village, followed in 2018.