R&B/Soul Singer KEM Revives Kemistry Information

[ad_1] by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton December 21, 2025

Returning to his impartial roots, Kem has already scored a Billboard No. 1 tune, along with his newest hit single, 'Rock With Me,' on the Grownup R&B Airplay.

When R&B recording artist Kem was launched to the world as a singer, he launched his personal document label, Kemistry Information, in 2002. Motown Information picked him up. For over 20 years, he was on the Motown Information roster, one of many best-known labels for Black artists, the place he achieved success with seven albums, one EP, and quite a few singles.

Now, Kem has returned to his roots: his newest challenge, distributed on Kemistry Information, is already exceeding expectations and has returned to the highest of Billboard’s Grownup R&B Airplay along with his newest hit, “Rock With Me.” This tune marks his ninth No. 1 document. He's tied with Maxwell for fourth place for having essentially the most No. 1s on the Grownup R&B Airplay checklist, with the 2 of them on the heels of Tank and Usher, who've 10 apiece, whereas Charlie Wilson tops the checklist with 11.

Nice firm to be with.

BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with Kem to debate what has been taking place over the previous couple of years and what’s on the horizon now that he's an impartial artist once more.

Now that we're right here, nearly 25 years after the world found him, he said that, amongst all his accomplishments, one factor appears to elude him.

“I'd have, I believe, that one of many solely issues that’s lacking is, uh, is a Grammy, proper? I believe that among the issues that I used to aspire to early on have been with the ability to tour and to create music that lasted, , that stood the take a look at of time, proper?”

Having gone on the highway with such legends as Charlie Wilson, the O’Jays, Frankie Beverly, and the Whispers, Kem’s objective was to not solely make the kind of music that may stand the take a look at of time, however his stage sport needed to match the legends, as he goals to work so long as they've, if he chooses. The measure of success in music, for some, is to tour eternally, as Frankie Beverly and Maze did, for instance.

As Kem has been within the sport for greater than twenty years, there's all the time the worry of returning after a number of years and discovering no movement. Many artists face that actuality when releasing new music. Now that Kem has re-entered the sector with out Motown’s backing, it may current a problem, however he already has a No. 1 hit. The expertise remains to be there, though the general setting has modified.

“I'm evolving, however I’m not essentially reinventing myself. I’m simply staying true to the sport that I began taking part in. ? And, there’s all the time, there'll all the time be room for nice music.”

However, in fact, expertise modifications as a lot, if no more than, the setting. That stated, Kem additionally states he wants to vary how he distributes the music, particularly since streaming platforms have modified the sport, whereas there's nonetheless conventional radio. With the 2, no less than, as an impartial label, he can management how the music is disseminated, relatively than having to attend for the label to dictate that. It additionally offers him the choice to launch sure songs on to DSPs (Digital Service Suppliers) whereas nonetheless having a conventional radio rollout. It additionally permits him to offer his followers particular releases as a result of they're devoted to his music/channel.

However working Kemistry Information as an government and likewise being the marquis artist is a problem, however nothing new, as Kem has all the time had inventive management, even when he was signed to Motown Information. However as a substitute of counting on the foremost label for assist, Kem has enlisted a core crew: Music Director Willie Burnett, A&R and Artistic Supervisor Rex Rideout, Head of Publicity Tavia Mapp-Deterville, Stylist Nafeesa Baptist, together with Andrew Asare and Denise Brown.

And talking of expertise and the present panorama, Kem is able to settle for the wave of synthetic intelligence that has been seeping into the business these days.

“If we discover a manner. I imply, there are methods that I believe AI could be helpful to the inventive course of. I believe that there are points of AI that may be helpful to the inventive course of. And it’s right here, what I’m saying? So it don’t matter how I really feel about it, ’trigger it’s current, what I’m saying? So how can I get in line?”