Perhaps one of Oklahoma’s best-kept secrets, OKC-based rapper — and part-time youth leader — Jabee burst onto the scene in summer 2008 with his debut album “Blood is the New Black.”

A sharp divergence from the popular “party” hip-hop that pours out of radio stations, Jabee utilizes beats and samples heavily centered around soul and jazz. The result is something a little more intricate, with beats reminiscent of Brother Ali or early Kanye West, and an emphasis on soulfulness rather than the ability to “bump.”

On top of the smooth beats are positive, personal rhymes with a vocal style nearing that of def poetry. With a flurry of shows scheduled this fall, including a performance Friday at the Conservatory, a traditionally indie-rock club in Oklahoma City, Jabee has a lot to be proud of, and even more to talk about.

First off, what’s new in the world of Jabee? How’s the album doing? What kinds of tours, events and projects have you been working on lately?

The album is doing well. Trying to keep the buzz going about it, still doing a lot of shows for it. I am throwing a “Jabee and Friends II” show at the Conservatory [on Friday], and I’m working on “Hipsters Handbook II” for December.

I’m also working on some EPs with a few homies that will probably have free downloads, so look out for those. [You can] order the album at datapanicdistro.com or on iTunes.

What does “Blood is the New Black” mean?

“Blood is the New Black” means that life is in style. “The new black” is often used to describe what’s in and I was simply saying blood is in — life, love, family, relationships, death. That’s the new black.

All the beats on “Blood” are very jazz- and soul-influenced. Was this a conscious decision on your part to have a sort of soulful fluidity?

Yes, everything I do is soul-influenced. I recorded about 30 songs and just picked from those. All the beats are produced by my favorite producers, DJ Vadim, DJ Alibi, Ob-one and Michael Manassah.

I went through hundreds of beats to find ones that have that soul that spoke to me. I really pride myself in my beat selection, and all those beats were crafted for “Blood.”

From lyrical and production standpoints, the album is extremely open and personal. Were you nervous about showing that kind of honesty in your music? What kind of risks do you take when you release an album like this?

The biggest risk is being so transparent and honest because people know you and they hear things and they had no idea I felt that way or they had no idea I thought these things.

I think it’s important to be honest and let people know the real you. People lie all the time, like “I have this, I have that,” but they’re the same people taking my order at Burger King. If you are so rich, why are you at Burger King?

So I am honest in my music; I’m not rich, I’m struggling. I drive a ‘95 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and that’s honest because that’s what the normal person is dealing with, and that’s how the average person is living.

Could you talk about your experience as a youth leader? What made you decide to do this outside of music? In what ways does it influence your music?

Youth are my passion! That’s another reason [why] I’m honest in music because so many musicians aren’t, and they send youth the wrong message. They send a message that helping each other isn’t important, that we should only be concerned with ourselves and how much we can get — and that’s not right. It doesn’t influence youth to change the world, it doesn’t give youth substance.

What does being from OKC mean to you? Do you think it’s important to rep your city?

OKC is my number one favorite place to be. I rep my city in everything I do. Being from OKC is part of the reason I’ve gained so much attention nationally, because people are surprised I’m from here. I have [the state of Oklahoma] tatted on my neck (laughs). When I was on the Warped Tour, I made sure everybody knew I was from OKC.

— Tyler Branson is an English and history senior.