A BIRMINGHAM rapper is kicking off a career-defining Autumn with four concerts this weekend, three of which are at Artsfest and are free entry.

Jimmy Davis is on the brink of launching his breakthrough album Existence is the Sound of Love and his debut single, the self-titled Jimmy Davis, will be released on 17 October along with a host of exclusive remixes.

Jimmy will be taking hip-hop back to the streets on Saturday with a performance outside HMV (Pavilions) in Birmingham city centre at 1pm which is sure to lighten the day of many a shopper and bargain-hunter.

The word wizard will then be hot-footing it up to York for an evening gig at the city’s Alight festival which has a reputation as one the UK’s coolest musical get-togethers.

The next day Jimmy will be back in Birmingham for two separate performances which will help bring Arts Fest to a fantastic musical climax.

At 2.30pm there will be another street performance in Birmingham outside LA Fitness on Cherry Street, and then on Sunday night at 9.30pm the city’s premier funk, soul and hip-hop venue The Yardbird will host Jimmy and his band The Barefoot Apostles.

Jimmy Davis forms part of the vanguard of a new movement of lyricists and rappers who are fighting back against the onslaught of X-Factor blandness and who all have lived a life that is free from private-school leg-ups and funny handshakes.

The rapper overcame drug addiction and homelessness to build a successful career in youth work across the West Midlands helping disadvantaged and excluded children find themselves through musical workshops.

Arts Fest is the biggest free cultural festival in Britain and will see hundreds of thousands of people flocking into the city to see the work of musicians, actors, plays, artists and sculptors.

Jimmy said: “Being from the city I love playing gigs in Birmingham and cannot wait to play Arts Fest three times this weekend.

“The gig at The Yardbird promises to be something special and I will be showcasing a lot of material from my forthcoming album Existence is the Sound of Love.

“This Autumn is going to be a milestone in my musical career and what better way to start it all off with a series of free gigs in Birmingham, the city which has moulded and shaped me as a person and will hopefully receive some reflected glory from my forthcoming album.

“I’ve got plenty of gigs lined up around the country including at the Globe in Hay-on-Wye, my single launch party at the o2 Academy in Birmingham, and some planned in London which I am really looking forward to.”

Jimmy is coming off the back of a successful festival season with highlights including a barnstorming performance at Glastonbury and several live collaborations with singer songwriter Ed Sheeran who scored a top ten hit with The A-Team in June.

The single Jimmy Davis is out on 17th October 2011 Visit www.jimmydavisdavis.com for the latest news and tour dates.