Gabriel Jacoby released his debut EP, gutta child, on November 14, 2025, via Bourne Records.
Tampa native Gabriel Jacoby has released his long-awaited debut project gutta child after years of dropping singles and visuals that introduced listeners to his eclectic style, influenced by everyone from Nina Simone to Lil Wayne to André 3000. Those earlier releases include “reptile,” “hillside,” and “forever,” each paired with its own visual.
However, with gutta child, Jacoby pulls no punches, doing everything in his power to fully immerse listeners into this unique, beautifully vibrant world he’s been building for the last three years.
The EP opens with the punchy, youthfully exuberant “hello.” An apt title for a track that finds Jacoby outlining an experience he had with a “corner lady” when he was 18. Beginning with stabbing and menacing piano notes, a clap, and a subtle flute, Jacoby’s gritty and soulful vocals are given full room to breathe.
“I just came home / Street light took long, yeah / Corner lady said hi / I think she want my cell phone,” he begins.
However, things don’t stay this way for long as subtle horns slowly make their way into the production, subverting expectations of what the song might have been and ushering in a completely different vibe.
After it drops, the production evolves into a horn-laden jazz song with beefy hip-hop-inspired kick drums. Jacoby flawlessly melds into the production with a performance that feels reminiscent of The Love Below era Andre 3000, especially with the jazzy musical backdrop and harmonious stacked vocals. However, there’s a certain uniqueness to the track’s sound that keeps Jacoby in a lane of his own, never wearing any influences too boldly on his sleeve.
The titular track “gutta child” doubles down on the jazzy sound, but instead of hip-hop-inspired drums, the track feels more funk-inspired, complete with a groovy bass line that perfectly complements the prominent horn stabs and R&B-flavored percussion.
Short and sweet, the song finds Jacoby wearing the struggle and poverty of his upbringing on his sleeve like a badge of honor, exuding a pride in his roots that’s exemplified in lines like “Real gutta child / I'm a dirty south, baby / I heard y’all talkin 'bout me / I'on care what you say,” or the closing lines “Carolina water, mix it with that Florida / Somebody said this ain't what they ordered / I could give a damn, this is what I am.”
The following two tracks, “same sign” and “bootleg,” the latter of which features Tampa’s own Tom.G, are perfectly sequenced. The former feels like one long crescendo that begins with boom-bappy drums, a bassline, and a plucked guitar melody, but is then expanded with the addition of both an acoustic and a distorted electric guitar, a harmonica, and a chorus of soaring vocals that almost feel reminiscent of musical theatre at the song’s apex. Once all of these elements are stripped away in the song’s outro, listeners are left with the acoustic riff and the initial plucked melody, which flawlessly transitions into “bootleg.”
Opening with aggressive acoustic guitar chords and ascendant harmonica, the expository sonics of “bootleg” lend credence to the hypnotic cowboy title that’s been bestowed upon Jacoby.
However, the vibe switches to something more hip-hop or 2000s R&B once the bassy drums come into the fold and Jacoby’s rap-heavy performance.
“I'm on my s**t (S**t), doing that VI (VI) / B***h, I'm in the T-A-M, P-to-the-A / Got the C-A-M, they wanna see boy krank like, mm,” Jacoby spits, continuing the aggressive hometown pride energy that began on “gutta child,” laced between sensual lyrics and refrains about lovemaking and needing someone to “lift [him] up.” Tom. G’s verse preserves this energy as he, between erotic bars, references Florida's 813 area code several times in his verse, making it entirely clear where he’s from and where his allegiance lies.
After the bombast of “bootleg,” things slow down substantially on “dirty south baby,” which represents a turning point on the project. Raw and entirely unfiltered, “dirty south baby” sees Jacoby lyrically detailing the hardships of his past.
The minimal harmonica-driven production, laden with a subdued bassline and claps that sound like they’re straight out of a church congregation, is the perfect backdrop for Jacoby’s personal, introspective lyrics, curating a vibe reminiscent of that of an old saloon from classic western movies.
“What'chu know, I heard you never been around my way, that’s for sho / We used to see them n***as everyday, now they gone / Keep daedae on my mind / Why’d you have to take him home, lord / I ain’t ever wanna let 'em go, that’s my homeboy,” Jacoby sings, lamenting the death of a close friend. The song concludes with Jacoby questioning who he’s become, feeling as if he’s too far gone, asking God to bring him back and “help [him] breathe”
The last three songs on the project indicate a shift in Jacoby. They’re more in line with the vibe of “dirty south baby” than anything that came before it.
With the exception of “the one,” which is notably more upbeat, they’re subdued and far less chaotic. “baby,” the final single released prior to the EP and the first of this final three-track-run, sees Jacoby fully leaning into his R&B bag with slow, minimal, thumping production characterized by a beefy kick drum and complemented by a dark-yet-seductive bass groove.
The track builds naturally as it goes on, accented by electric guitar chords that fit nicely into the track’s dark production. Lyrically, the song sees Jacoby promising to be a better lover than his muse’s current partner, singing “And I heard, that he ain't yo man / Lemme come around, I can / Make sure he's gone / Can I show you off and put you on like I know that you deserve.”
This track feels like a more mature version of the love Jacoby outlined on previous tracks. This energy is maintained on the following track, “the one”
Hauntingly catchy and entirely upbeat, “the one” is the penultimate funk opus, exuding an energy that’s perfectly embodied in the song’s roller skating, dance-laden music video; it feels like an anthem for the roller rink. Complemented by smooth, relatively consistent production, Jacoby’s falsetto soulful performance is given full room to steal the show.
Conceptually, it’s a true blue love song, complete with lyrics like “I'm waitin' on what you gone say / Come tell me somethin' / Maybe that's all you need / Someone to love you” or the chorus “Baby, I'm on it (That's right) / Keep leanin' on me (That's right) / Damn it, I'm jammin' (That's right) / I'll be the one (That's right).”
It’s definitely a major highlight from an EP full of highlights.
The final song, “be careful,” is the culmination of all the growth gathered throughout the project. It’s an intimate, stripped-down guitar-driven track with a singular snare drum to keep time, and sees Jacoby taking a step back to look at both the dangers and beauty of the world holistically.
The chorus refrain “Just be careful, baby / This world ain't gon' be here long,” seems to be two-pronged, reminding listeners that neither the danger nor the beauty will last forever, so humans need to indulge in life’s beauty and persevere through its pain. The message of this song is a perfect closing to the project, representing both sides of Jacoby’s life–both the struggle and the maturation.
It’s really quite beautiful.
To conclude, Gabriel Jacoby’s gutta child EP is a fantastic introduction to what is surely gearing up to be one of music’s most exciting new voices.
An artist who successfully blends classic with contemporary to create something wholly unique. The only drawback is that there isn’t more. Many of the songs are on the shorter side, and, after being teased with such exceptional music, it could leave listeners desiring more.
Nonetheless, we here at EARMILK are absolutely stoked to hear what Gabriel Jacoby has to say next. It's sure to be great.
Photo credit: Juan Nieto
