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Kwame aka K1 Mil
Kwame, a talented artist, songwriter and producer, first emerged on the music scene at large in 1989. Born in Queens, New York, Kwame was surrounded by musical influences as a child, including family friends such as Stevie Wonder, Lionel Hampton and Abdullah Ibraheem. He received a drum set from Lionel Hampton and a harmonica from Stevie Wonder, and went on to master several instruments. In addition to his jazz and soul roots, Kwame also found himself enamored with the work of Prince, Morris Day, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Slick Rick, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane. Ultimately, it was the fusion of these flavors and styles that helped develop an incredibly unique flair that would make him into the man that the guys wanted to be, and the ladies all knew and loved.
At the age of 16, he released the classic album The Boy Genius, which made Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists for 1989's Top 25 albums. The project featured his first single "The Man We All Know and Love", the jazz influenced hit record "The Rhythm" and his clever remake of Chaka Khan's "Sweet Thing" especially for the ladies. He was insistent upon using live bands in his shows, and incorporated his musical background into creating innovative sounds in Hip Hop.
His second full length project, A Day In The Life- A Polkadelic Adventure, was released only a year later and spawned two hits: "Ownlee Ewe" and "Oneovdabigboyz". Kwame's fast-paced career pushed him into the limelight, and created a national fascination with his incredible talent and innovative fashion sense. Over the next four years, Kwame went on to record two more albums entitled Nastee and Incognito.
After the release of Incognito, Kwame worked stealthily to hone his production abilities, producing tracks for Mary J. Blige for her No More Drama album, LL Cool J for 10, and Nick Cannon for the Drumline Soundtrack, to name a few. In 2004 the multi-platinum selling artist produced the hit single "On Fire" for Lloyd Banks, which catapulted the album Hunger for More straight to #1 on the charts for the G-Unit emcee. The album went gold within its first week, and has since been certified platinum. "On Fire" has also been nominated for 'Single Of The Year' for the 2004 Source Awards.
Kwame is busier than ever in his New York studio, The Beat Factory, and has been highly sought after from every corner of the industry. Will Smith enlisted Kwame to produce the first single, "Switch", from his highly anticipated upcoming album. In their search for the next big hit, both Tweet and Youngbloodz brought Kwame aboard to produce first singles for their respective 2005 albums as well. The list of tracks to be released next year continues to grow, as Toni Braxton, Freeway, T.I. and many others have been snapping up his incredible beats.
Kwame explains that his production style is very give and take when he works with artists. "I will have an idea for a hook or a song direction first and build music around that idea, then record it as if I'm doing a full song," he says. "This allows me to take it to artists and show them what direction I see the music going in, and then we work together to bring both of our ideas to life in the song."
Looking back, he cites his work with 'Uncle L' to be a creative highlight. "I love all of the songs that I've done, but if I had to name a favorite song so far, it would have to be '10 Millions Stars' by LL Cool J. I've always respected LL's talent and career path, and I felt that this song brought out the raw lyrical vintage LL that everyone loves. Also, I incorporated a sample from Fame, a movie that inspired me to make music. For me, the song was sort of a tribute to what influenced me when I was younger, and the beat was just the sickest ever."
Understanding how much music influenced him as a child, Kwame dedicates a significant amount of his time working with kids. He holds mentoring workshops on music appreciation, production, writing and performing and has worked with various youth organizations including The Coca-Cola/Apollo Theater Academy, S.T.A.R.S. Youth Empowerment organization, the IMPACT Repertory Theatre (funded by Russell Simmon's RUSH Foundation), and the late Tupac's 'Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation'. He humbly expresses his gratitude for having longevity in his career, and for being able to give back to the community. "It's just a blessing to still be in the game. I never do work to be recognized, I do it because I love it, and I totally appreciate the love back."
As for the future, Kwame would like to delve into classical music, and perhaps do some scoring for movies or Broadway plays. "Expect the unexpected," he says of his direction. "Don't just expect hot rap records. My range is wide so you will hear anything from Pop to R&B to Gangsta to Rock and Gospel. I'm in it for the long haul. For the most part the music will be different. I take pride on experimenting and pushing the boundaries of music."
For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net
For beats, contact arlenegodfrey@tmo.blackberry.net
For bookings, contact davelocust@tmo.blackberry.net
Discography
Full Length Solo Albums
1989 – The Boy Genius (Atlantic)
1990 – A Day In The Life (Atlantic)
1992 – Nastee (Atlantic)
1994 – Incognito (Ichiban)
12” Single Releases
2002 - Lady May “Round Up” f/ Blue Cantrell (Arista)
2004 – Lloyd Banks “On Fire” (G-Unit/Interscope)
2004 – Jin “So Afraid Of” (Ruff Ryders/Virgin)
2004 – Tweet “Turn Da Lights Off” (Atlantic)
2004 – Joe Budden “Roll Your Backyard” (Def Jam)
2005 – Red Cafe “All Night Long” (Capitol)
2005 – Will Smith “Switch” (Interscope)
2005 – Tweet “We Don’t Need No Water” (Atlantic)
2005 - Red Cafe "Rap Chic" (Capitol)
Contributions to Full Lengths and EP’s
2002 - Mary J Blige “L.O.V.E.” No More Drama (MCA)
2002 - LL Cool J “10 Million Stars”, “Throw Ya L’s Up” 10 (Def Jam)
2002 - Dru Hill “No Doubt” Dru World Order (Def Soul/Def Jam)
2002 - Lady May “Round Up” f/ Blue Cantrell May Day (Arista)
2004 - Jin “So Afraid Of” The Rest Is History (Ruff Ryders/Virgin)
2004 – JoJo “Breezy” JoJo (Blackground/Universal)
2004 – Lloyd Banks “On Fire” Hunger For More (G-Unit/Interscope)
Contributions to Compilations, Mixtapes and Special Projects
2000 – “The Rhythm” Rap Mania: The Roots Of Rap (X-Ray)
2002 - LL Cool J “And The Winner Is” Hip Kids Hop (Scholastic Books)
Film and Television Soundtracks and Scores
2001 - “R U Ready” Ghetto Dog (Spartan Films)
2001 - “Crazy”, “If I Can’t Have You” Dancing In September (HBO Films)
2003 - Nick Cannon “Scared Of You” Drumline Soundtrack (Jive/20th Century Fox)
2005 - Red Caf_ “All Night Long” Coach Carter Soundtrack (Capitol)
2005 Unreleased projects
*Babs – 1 untitled song on upcoming album (Bad Boy/Universal)
*Czar Nok – “Gangsta” on upcoming album (Capitol)
*DJ Clue/NORE – 1 untitled song on upcoming album (Roc-A-Fella)
*Freeway – “Let’s Hear It” f/ Beanie Sigel, and 2 untitled tracks on upcoming album (Roc-A-Fella)
*Joe Budden – “Back Yard” First single on upcoming album (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
*Missy Elliott –3 untitled song on upcoming album (Atlantic)
*Toni Braxton – “The Perfect Man” on upcoming album (Blackground/Universal)
*Tweet - “Turn Da Lights Off”, “We Don’t Need No Water” on upcoming album: It’s Me Again (Atlantic)
*Will Smith – “Switch” First single on upcoming album, and “Got That” (Overbrook/Interscope)
At the age of 16, he released the classic album The Boy Genius, which made Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists for 1989's Top 25 albums. The project featured his first single "The Man We All Know and Love", the jazz influenced hit record "The Rhythm" and his clever remake of Chaka Khan's "Sweet Thing" especially for the ladies. He was insistent upon using live bands in his shows, and incorporated his musical background into creating innovative sounds in Hip Hop.
His second full length project, A Day In The Life- A Polkadelic Adventure, was released only a year later and spawned two hits: "Ownlee Ewe" and "Oneovdabigboyz". Kwame's fast-paced career pushed him into the limelight, and created a national fascination with his incredible talent and innovative fashion sense. Over the next four years, Kwame went on to record two more albums entitled Nastee and Incognito.
After the release of Incognito, Kwame worked stealthily to hone his production abilities, producing tracks for Mary J. Blige for her No More Drama album, LL Cool J for 10, and Nick Cannon for the Drumline Soundtrack, to name a few. In 2004 the multi-platinum selling artist produced the hit single "On Fire" for Lloyd Banks, which catapulted the album Hunger for More straight to #1 on the charts for the G-Unit emcee. The album went gold within its first week, and has since been certified platinum. "On Fire" has also been nominated for 'Single Of The Year' for the 2004 Source Awards.
Kwame is busier than ever in his New York studio, The Beat Factory, and has been highly sought after from every corner of the industry. Will Smith enlisted Kwame to produce the first single, "Switch", from his highly anticipated upcoming album. In their search for the next big hit, both Tweet and Youngbloodz brought Kwame aboard to produce first singles for their respective 2005 albums as well. The list of tracks to be released next year continues to grow, as Toni Braxton, Freeway, T.I. and many others have been snapping up his incredible beats.
Kwame explains that his production style is very give and take when he works with artists. "I will have an idea for a hook or a song direction first and build music around that idea, then record it as if I'm doing a full song," he says. "This allows me to take it to artists and show them what direction I see the music going in, and then we work together to bring both of our ideas to life in the song."
Looking back, he cites his work with 'Uncle L' to be a creative highlight. "I love all of the songs that I've done, but if I had to name a favorite song so far, it would have to be '10 Millions Stars' by LL Cool J. I've always respected LL's talent and career path, and I felt that this song brought out the raw lyrical vintage LL that everyone loves. Also, I incorporated a sample from Fame, a movie that inspired me to make music. For me, the song was sort of a tribute to what influenced me when I was younger, and the beat was just the sickest ever."
Understanding how much music influenced him as a child, Kwame dedicates a significant amount of his time working with kids. He holds mentoring workshops on music appreciation, production, writing and performing and has worked with various youth organizations including The Coca-Cola/Apollo Theater Academy, S.T.A.R.S. Youth Empowerment organization, the IMPACT Repertory Theatre (funded by Russell Simmon's RUSH Foundation), and the late Tupac's 'Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation'. He humbly expresses his gratitude for having longevity in his career, and for being able to give back to the community. "It's just a blessing to still be in the game. I never do work to be recognized, I do it because I love it, and I totally appreciate the love back."
As for the future, Kwame would like to delve into classical music, and perhaps do some scoring for movies or Broadway plays. "Expect the unexpected," he says of his direction. "Don't just expect hot rap records. My range is wide so you will hear anything from Pop to R&B to Gangsta to Rock and Gospel. I'm in it for the long haul. For the most part the music will be different. I take pride on experimenting and pushing the boundaries of music."
For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net
For beats, contact arlenegodfrey@tmo.blackberry.net
For bookings, contact davelocust@tmo.blackberry.net
Full Length Solo Albums
1989 – The Boy Genius (Atlantic)
1990 – A Day In The Life (Atlantic)
1992 – Nastee (Atlantic)
1994 – Incognito (Ichiban)
12” Single Releases
2002 - Lady May “Round Up” f/ Blue Cantrell (Arista)
2004 – Lloyd Banks “On Fire” (G-Unit/Interscope)
2004 – Jin “So Afraid Of” (Ruff Ryders/Virgin)
2004 – Tweet “Turn Da Lights Off” (Atlantic)
2004 – Joe Budden “Roll Your Backyard” (Def Jam)
2005 – Red Cafe “All Night Long” (Capitol)
2005 – Will Smith “Switch” (Interscope)
2005 – Tweet “We Don’t Need No Water” (Atlantic)
2005 - Red Cafe "Rap Chic" (Capitol)
Contributions to Full Lengths and EP’s
2002 - Mary J Blige “L.O.V.E.” No More Drama (MCA)
2002 - LL Cool J “10 Million Stars”, “Throw Ya L’s Up” 10 (Def Jam)
2002 - Dru Hill “No Doubt” Dru World Order (Def Soul/Def Jam)
2002 - Lady May “Round Up” f/ Blue Cantrell May Day (Arista)
2004 - Jin “So Afraid Of” The Rest Is History (Ruff Ryders/Virgin)
2004 – JoJo “Breezy” JoJo (Blackground/Universal)
2004 – Lloyd Banks “On Fire” Hunger For More (G-Unit/Interscope)
Contributions to Compilations, Mixtapes and Special Projects
2000 – “The Rhythm” Rap Mania: The Roots Of Rap (X-Ray)
2002 - LL Cool J “And The Winner Is” Hip Kids Hop (Scholastic Books)
Film and Television Soundtracks and Scores
2001 - “R U Ready” Ghetto Dog (Spartan Films)
2001 - “Crazy”, “If I Can’t Have You” Dancing In September (HBO Films)
2003 - Nick Cannon “Scared Of You” Drumline Soundtrack (Jive/20th Century Fox)
2005 - Red Caf_ “All Night Long” Coach Carter Soundtrack (Capitol)
2005 Unreleased projects
*Babs – 1 untitled song on upcoming album (Bad Boy/Universal)
*Czar Nok – “Gangsta” on upcoming album (Capitol)
*DJ Clue/NORE – 1 untitled song on upcoming album (Roc-A-Fella)
*Freeway – “Let’s Hear It” f/ Beanie Sigel, and 2 untitled tracks on upcoming album (Roc-A-Fella)
*Joe Budden – “Back Yard” First single on upcoming album (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
*Missy Elliott –3 untitled song on upcoming album (Atlantic)
*Toni Braxton – “The Perfect Man” on upcoming album (Blackground/Universal)
*Tweet - “Turn Da Lights Off”, “We Don’t Need No Water” on upcoming album: It’s Me Again (Atlantic)
*Will Smith – “Switch” First single on upcoming album, and “Got That” (Overbrook/Interscope)
Press: Interviews, Articles, & Reviews
- Interview @ UrbanWorldWireless.com - February 2005
- Interview @ PopMatters.com - December 2004
- Interview with Davey D from KPFA Radio - December 2004
- Interview @ MTV.com - October 2004
- Interview @ BeatTalk.com/One Stop Beats - Sept 2004
- Interview @ AllHipHop.com - July 2004
- Kwame Tribute post @ Funkdigital.com - May 2004