Quick Recap: Daye Jack Heaps on the Introspect at Boston’s Middle East

Daye Jack’s current “Only In Your Dreams” tour with Pell is the stuff neo-soul hip hop dreams are made of. Jack, the baby faced 20-year old Nigeria native, recently turned heads with his Killer Mike collaboration “Hands Up.” The song, which contains heart-wrenching and powerful lyricism, serves as a desperately needed dissection of the ongoing police brutality epidemic crippling black communities. Even though Jack was surrounded in a room of hazy eyed teenagers in search of a party, that didn’t prevent him from delving deep into his catalogue and serving up his maturing depth in the most captivating way possible. In a modest baseball hat and a pair of overalls, Jack gave a barebones introduction then proceeded to blow us away.

Jack insisted he wanted to vibe out with us and his set list seemingly obliged. His showmanship was both prolific and patient; songs were delivered with both a raw, screaming energy and an inexplicable psychedelic sprawl. “Piggybank” and “First Glitch” had a throwback feel (think golden era 90s hip hop roof raisers) while “Easy” and “Die Today” brought the wit and warmth that Jack is becoming known for. While the crowd looked on with intrigue and slight familiarity, it was “Hands Up” that was the instant favorite of the evening. He drove his point home vehemently with a stage presence that could best be described as invitingly adventurous; not everyone in attendance experienced everything that he was saying but they could feel the weight of his words. And from the way Jack took in the scenery before he exited the stage, that was simply enough.