One of the headliners at this year’s Zydeco Festival in Plaisance won’t be your dyed-in-the wool Louisiana Creole. Oddly enough this particular headliner doesn’t even hail from a Roman Catholic background like so many do. Like his band name, NuBreedz, new breed J. Paul Jr. represents a sign that zydeco is expanding beyond its sociological roots. Not only is this Houstonian a born-and-fed Texan, he was uncharacteristically raised in a Baptist household. No doubt that’s enough to separate him from the pack but even more so, he’s a natural at pushing the envelope.

His fourth album states that point well as Paul unabrasively mixes hip-hop, contemporary R&B and a little gospel fervor into the proceedings. Although zydeco, hip-hop and R&B have been churned together before, it has never been blended quite like this. Instead of the typical amalgamation of urban influences encroaching upon the rural zydeco settings, Paul uses a touch of rural in his predominantly urban z-sound. While it’s a fine nouveau groove, crankin’ accordion and deft bandmanship, that’s just a baseline for further innovation. The background vocals are unbelievably silky smooth, which fuses nicely with Paul’s raspy vocals. On certain choruses, Paul sings short phrases while letting the background voices gracefully handle line after line—no one-two word echoings here. They often have a lighter-than-air feel and on “Same Groove,” they swirl and twirl about to create a mild circular sensation. On “Tyme 2 Zydeco,” guitarist Rambo lets loose with some holier-than-hell squalling, a high-pitch maniacal type of church singing that nearly turns a zydeco romp into a fervent Baptist revival. Paul takes that concept further by boldly featuring the Greater Pure Light Baptist Church Choir on the uplifting “Succeed.”

At the same time, Paul is not just trying to forge his zydeco identity without any roots appreciation. Recalling the ghosts of Clifton and Cleveland Chenier, Paul goes for an old school blitz on “Old Time Zydeco” and gives a nod to his rural cousins on the twangy “Farmer’s Waltz.” On “Where My Soldiers At,” Paul pays homage by comparing zydeco’s fallen heroes to soldiers bent on a mission. “Rockin’ Dopsie, he was a soldier. Clifton Chenier, he was a soldier,” Paul triumphantly states. “Zydeco architects, zydeco masters, they paved the way.” Yes, they did pave the way for new soldiers like Paul and it will be interesting to see who’s commissioned next.