Kem

Kem lived a struggling life, which he understandably refuses to discuss during my in person interview. I met Kem in Lattimer Road - The Grove Studios, West London. My US friend Vivian Chew of TimeZone International gave me this opportunity, and I messed it up. I’d already missed a chance to interview Donnie & Anthony David but missed both. And while interviewing Kem my tape recorder stopped recording. This is what I got from the recording.

“Actually I recorded the Kemistry album before I signed to a record deal, Shante was the one who helped us get the deal with Motown. It was a very good experience but also a very terrifying experience, but over all it was good”, says a sincere Kem. He continues, “Now it is very rewarding because I get to share my music to a lot more people than I could have done independently” Kem wrote, co-produced, and financed Kemistry by waiting tables and singing top 4 covers in a wedding band. Once Kem signed to major label Motown Records, he re-released Kemistry and it sold over 500,000 copies nationally.

“My first musical influence was probably when I was a child and Gospel music was the first thing I was turned onto”, says Kem. “No artist in particular, but then I started to like Prince, and Michael Jackson, probably Michael Jackson first when I got into high school. And then I started to listen and have an appreciation for Jazz, artists like Tanya Maria, Michael Franks, Al Jarreau; a lot of people compare me to Al Jarreau now. So there are a lot of names in that hat”

“This is my second time”, says Kem about his London visits. “I’ve been here a couple of years ago, and, as you know, tomorrow night we will be with Donnie, and Anthony David. While I was working with Motown, Donnie was also on Motown, so we met each other. And Anthony David, over the last six months we’ve done a lot of shows together”, says Kem. “No, I don’t know the band, but I’ve heard nothing but good things from when I stepped off the plane this morning, everyone was talking about them”

Kem describes his music, “When you think of soul music, you think of Rhodes, and you think about the warm sound, my music is very warm, it’s very soft, or you can be real funky with it, or have dark chords. It’s really the backbone of my music, is really the Rhodes. And it really works well with soul, you know, its romantic and spiritual”

“I think in the States they call it something like Contemporary R&B” I told him I liked his music. Kem replied “Oh so you actually listen to my music?” I said - of course! “You see, that’s not always the case in the States, and some people who interview me have no idea what I do”

Some press coverage have accused his music of being too religious, but for Kem he has been through a lot, and he remains very appreciative. Living on street benches in Detroit, isolated from his family is no life for any person. For Kem, a special talent had something to share to the world. Now, he is a confident and comfortable Kem, overjoyed to be able to make and share his music for a living and anything added is just a bonus.

Without God in his life, his reasons of where is is at today would not be of any substance. Kem says, “Writing a song, it starts with the keyboard and me. And I usually mess and fiddle around to find something that I like, then if I got something musically that I like I create a melody for a chorus, sometimes the chorus comes first or the verse comes before the chorus. After I’ve found a melody that I’ve created, the words take form and often the lyrics take the longest. I think song writing is just a gift, and I write about anything, I really don’t have concepts for songs, once I have established a melody, I may sing a little bit of something, it really just creates itself. The work is sitting still long enough to let it come into flouishion”

In Person Interview by Matthew Daniel

Soulisms 2008