The US R&B artist appears on The Cover – hear his ‘Funky Buddha’ playlist featuring Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, Outkast, Erykah Badu and more
Gabriel Jacoby takes the spotlight in this week’s edition of The Cover, sharing his story and a playlist put together exclusively for NME.
Oumar Saleh interviewed the American R&B musician for the feature, with Karis Beaumont handling the accompanying photography in London in July. His playlist, ‘Funky Buddha’, brings together songs from Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, Outkast, Erykah Badu and others. Listen through Apple Music or Spotify.
Closing the selection is ‘Another Life’ by the late D’Angelo. Michelle Obama recently drew a comparison between Jacoby and the celebrated singer while appearing on Keke Palmer’s podcast. Addressing those comparisons in his Cover interview, Jacoby said: “I was never the type of artist to want to mimic anything… I want you to be able to experience something new.”
Born in South Carolina and brought up in Florida, Jacoby released his first EP, ‘Gutta Child’, in 2025. The project helped earn him a place in the NME 100 of 2026, which highlights emerging musicians to watch. Its sound blends R&B with funk, soul and backwoods blues. On ‘Bootleg’, he also draws from Tampa krank, the local dance style he grew up hearing.
Jacoby’s upcoming appearances include Austin City Limits and Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw. New material is also taking shape, and he offered NME a hint of his ambitions: “I’m gonna make something even more undeniable, to where you just can’t look away… It’s not gonna be metaphorical anymore.”
Explore Gabriel Jacoby’s full Cover profile here, or browse previous artists featured on The Cover.
NME publishes 50 Cover features each year, combining detailed interviews and original photography to introduce rising talent from across the globe. The coffee table book NME The Cover 2024-2025 collects features on artists including Underscores, YHWH Nailgun, Tiny Habits, Mustafa, Lambrini Girls, Saya Gray and Oklou, among others.
