Kemba (rapper)

Last updated
Kemba
Sundance Film Festival 2024 - As we speak - Kemba-104A2984.jpg
Kemba at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
Background information
Birth nameMatthew Jefferson
Also known asYC the Cynic
Born (1990-10-21) October 21, 1990 (age 33)
Origin Hunts Point, Bronx, New York
Genres Hip hop
OccupationRapper
InstrumentVocals
Years active2010–present
Website kembaland.com

Matthew Jefferson, also known as Kemba, formerly known as YC the Cynic, (born November 21, 1990) is an American rapper from Hunts Point, Bronx, New York. He was named one of the "Top 5 Underground Hip-Hop Artists in New York" by Deli Magazine (2010) and was ordained "DXNext" by the hip hop website HipHopDX (2011). Kemba talks openly about his sense of responsibility to the art form, “It feels like there’s a void in the Bronx, and I don’t necessarily feel like I have to fill it, but I feel like I could." [1] He was also a feature on XXXTENTACION's final posthumous album, Bad Vibes Forever.

Contents

Musical career

You're Welcome (2010)

Released on February 9, 2010, You're Welcome is YC The Cynic's musical debut. Featuring mostly covers of 1990s classics, You're Welcome was an act of homage to those that paved the way for him. Justin Hunte of BrooklynBodega described You're Welcome as being “loaded with personality, slick wordplay, pristine beat selection, and lyricism beyond his years.” [2] Manny Faces of Birthplace Magazine said "lyrically, YC is intelligent and rocks with diction. He enunciates well, emitting just the right amount of emotion for each track, while skillfully staying on message." [3] DJBooth.net declared “YC’s heavily-alliterated, elaborately-rhymed flows are undeniably dope.” [4] You're Welcome served as a great look into the talent and potential of the up-and-coming emcee.

Fall FWD (2011)

Released on March 1, 2011, Fall FWD is the second mixtape by YC the Cynic. Containing mostly original production, Fall FWD shows the growth and song-writing ability of the young artist. Derick Fortin of LA2Day said "Fall FWD’s lyrical complexity, aesthetically pleasing flow, diverse subjects, and experimental production is everything true hip-hop fans have been looking for" [5] while JT Langley of Oology says "lyrical content aside, YC shares himself as a patient slow-paced linguist throughout the tape, focusing with precision to weave commentary among clever metaphor, while riding a loose rhyme-scheme that holds the ability to evolve smoothly at the turn of each verse without any obvious signifiers." [6]

After the success of Fall FWD, YC the Cynic has performed with the stage with the likes of Bun B, Curren$y, Joell Ortiz, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Big Sean and most notably, a headline show for his most recent release, Fall FWD, at Southpaw in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He also performed at the closing ceremony of Fat Beats in NYC. In March 2011, YC the Cynic wrapped a nationwide tour with J.Live that included six performances at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. YC's artist resume includes features in OkayPlayer, AllHipHop, ACT LIVE MUSIC, 2dopeboyz and OK-Tho whom named him one of the Top 25 artists of 2013. [7]

GNK (2013)

Released on August 26, 2013, GNK is the last project released under the name YC the Cynic. GNK is a collaborative project with Frank Drake (Producer).

NEGUS (2016)

Under his new name, Kemba released the album Negus on June 30, 2016. In December 2016, Kemba was interviewed by Peter Rosenberg on Real Late W/ Peter Rosenberg. [8] Only nine days after the interview was uploaded to YouTube, Kendrick Lamar invited Kemba on to the stage to rap at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg for an American Express sponsored concert that was live-streamed on Facebook. [9] On December 27, 2016, Kemba uploaded a video onto Instagram showing him on the set for Anderson .Paak's "Already" music video. [10] On December 28, 2016, rumors began to surface that Kemba had signed to Top Dawg Entertainment. [11] In 2019, he was featured on the final posthumous album from the late Floridian rapper XXXTENTACION, Bad Vibes Forever, with fellow New York native, Joey Badass.

GILDA (2019)

In 2019, Kemba released Gilda, his major label debut. [12] The album is named for, and is a tribute to, Kemba's mother, who passed away two years prior to the album's release.

In 2020, Kemba appeared as himself in the film The 40-Year-Old Version. [13] In 2020, Kemba's music video ''Nobody I Can Trust'' directed by Tomson Tee won the Best Narrative category and placed second for the Best Music Video at the Berlin Music Video Awards. [14]

Rebel Diaz Arts Collective

In addition, YC the Cynic is a founding member of the RDACBX, Rebel Diaz Arts Collective. Created in March 2009 by the hip hop duo Rebel Diaz, the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective (RDACBX) is a hip hop community center that utilizes all five elements to spread their message about the injustices faced by oppressed groups while providing a safe haven for young people to perform and learn. [15] Some of the RDACBX's resources include a performance space, a multimedia studio, a computer lab, and an art gallery. In "building community through the arts," RDACBX serves as a safe space for young people to learn and perform, hosting workshops in addition to providing artistic space. YC describes his participation in the collective: "We’ve been doing rallies, which are all based on music, but it’s so much deeper. Music is just an acceptable form…it’s inspirational. We use that to better the community and the world at large." [16] In June 2010, along with RDACBX, YC the Cynic toured California, and Detroit, for the United States Social Forum.

Influences

YC The Cynic has openly stated his influences and how they influence him. "I study specific emcees for specific reasons. Like, I've the [sic] importance of enunciation is huge. I look to KRS-One for that." He has also said that he looked to Eminem for multi-syllabic rhythmic patters and "inners," which are rhymes in the beginning or middle of a line. Although KRS-One and Eminem have influenced him, he's also named Mos Def and Andre 3000 as well, with his biggest influence being Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley. "Cee-lo use of melody, song-writing ability, and just the strength and feeling of the words he chooses is pretty invaluable," says the Bronx native.

YC the Cynic has been lauded by some of the most notable names in the hip hop industry. In his "DXNext" feature, the writer described him as being "a standout in the cutthroat New York City underground scene." [17] Brooklyn Bodega described YC as being “loaded with personality, slick wordplay, pristine beat selection, and lyricism beyond his years” [18] while DJBooth.net declares “YC’s heavily-alliterated, elaborately-rhymed flows are undeniably dope.” [19] [20]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasiin Bey</span> American rapper (born 1973)

Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social and political issues, such as police brutality, American exceptionalism, and the social status of African Americans.

Tony Louis Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and music producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, whom Hi-Tek featured on his second album, Hi-Teknology 2.

Kung Faux is an international action comedy television series and audiovisual art assemblage created by Mic Neumann, an American creator–developer showrunner, conceptual artist and multimedia entrepreneur, who remixes classic kung fu films with popular music and comic book style editing along with video game style visual effects and new storylines featuring voice acting by contemporary art stars, hip hop personalities, and pop culture icons.

ApSci is an Australian video-centric avant pop duo with origins in indie hip hop. As individuals, their roots go back to punk rock and opera. The duo consists of Bronx born, New Jersey-bred Ra Lamotta and his Filipino-Australian wife Dana Diaz-Tutaan. The duo, which has been performing together since meeting in 1998, has received added attention after being signed to underground hip hop label Quannum Projects in 2004. The band name is a portmanteau of "applied science."

<i>Hustlenomics</i> 2007 studio album by Yung Joc

Hustlenomics is the second studio album by American rapper Yung Joc. It was released, by Bad Boy Records on August 28, 2007. The album contains the singles "Coffee Shop" and "Bottle Poppin," both featuring rapper Gorilla Zoe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebel Diaz</span> American hip hop group

Rebel Diaz is a political hip hop duo out of New York City and Chicago consisting of the Chilean brothers Rodrigo Venegas and Gonzalo Venegas. Rebel Diaz uses their music as an organizing tool and to spread knowledge about injustice. Hip hop website AllHipHop.com named Rebel Diaz one of the top fifty emerging/underground hip hop artists of 2013.

<i>Follow Me Home</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Jay Rock

Follow Me Home is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Jay Rock; it was released on July 26, 2011, under Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and Strange Music. The album was preceded by two singles; "All My Life " and "Hood Gone Love It".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Rock discography</span>

American rapper Jay Rock has released three studio albums, 10 mixtapes, 13 singles and 30 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make a Movie</span> 2010 single by Twista featuring Chris Brown

"Make a Movie" is the first single and a popular song from American rapper Twista's eighth studio album, The Perfect Storm. It was released on August 24, 2010. The track charted in the United States and a music video was shot.

<i>We the Best Forever</i> 2011 studio album by DJ Khaled

We the Best Forever is the fifth studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on July 19, 2011, by We the Best Music Group, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records. It is his first album to be released on a major label, his first four albums being released on the independent label Koch Records, which later changed its name to E1 Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Wanna Give It to You</span> 2011 single by Elle Varner featuring J. Cole

"Only Wanna Give It to You" is a song by American singer-songwriter and R&B recording artist Elle Varner, released on August 16, 2011 as a digital download. It serves as her debut single and the lead single from her debut studio album, Perfectly Imperfect (2012). The song features American rapper J. Cole and was produced by Oak & Pop. The Elle Varner song was released and her only single with J Records prior to RCA Records before closing down the label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trillmatic</span> 2013 song by ASAP Mob

"Trillmatic" is a song by American rapper ASAP Nast from the hip hop collective ASAP Mob. It was released on December 4, 2013. It was originally intended to be a first single from ASAP Mob's debut studio album L.O.R.D., which was originally scheduled to be released around 2014, but the album, however, was scrapped. The song, produced by ASAP Mob's ASAP Ty Beats features East Coast rapper Method Man. The song has since peaked at number 29 on the UK R&B Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clyde Carson</span> American rapper (born 1981)

Nyle Kalin Parrish, better known by his stage name Clyde Carson, is an American rapper from Oakland, California. He formed the local hip hop trio the Team in the early 2000s, with whom he released four studio albums. After their third album World Premiere (2006), the group went on hiatus and Carson signed with fellow California-based rapper The Game's The Black Wall Street Records, in a joint venture with Capitol Records to release his debut extended play Doin' That (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinematic Music Group</span> American hip hop record label

Cinematic Music Group is an American record label, management, publishing & touring company distributed by Geffen Records founded in 2007 by Jonny Shipes. Their roster as of 2020 consists of Joey Bada$$, Pro Era, T-Pain, Smoke DZA, Va$htie, Mick Jenkins, G Herbo, Caveman, Public Access TV, Flipp Dinero, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson .Paak</span> American singer (born 1986)

Brandon Paak Anderson, better known by his stage name Anderson .Paak, is an American singer, rapper, drummer and record producer from Oxnard, California. He released his debut mixtape, O.B.E. Vol. 1, in 2012 and went on to release his debut album Venice in 2014. In 2016, he followed up with his second album, Malibu, which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album, followed by his third album, Oxnard (2018). At the 61st Grammy Awards, Paak won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance with his 2018 non-album single "Bubblin". In 2020, he won two additional Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album with his fourth album Ventura, while a song from the album won Best R&B Performance with "Come Home".

<i>Link Up & Suede</i> 2015 EP by NxWorries

Link Up & Suede is the debut EP by NxWorries, the Los Angeles–based duo of hip hop producer Knxwledge and R&B vocalist Anderson .Paak. The EP was released on December 4, 2015, under Stones Throw Records, and was supported by two singles: "Suede", the breakthrough song which earned .Paak an invitation to Dr. Dre’s Compton sessions, and "Link Up", which premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show on December 1, 2015.

Gabriel Stevenson, professionally known as Like, is an American record producer, rapper, DJ and songwriter. A three time Grammy nominee, he began working with the Pacific Division, a hip hop trio, better known as Pac Div in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DillanPonders</span> Musical artist

Dillan Alexander Richard King known professionally by his stage name DillanPonders, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. Ponders has performed across North America, as part of festivals like SXSW, Mondo. NYC and on the Smoker’s Club tours, as well as alongside some of hip hop’s left field leaders, including Flatbush ZOMBIES, Pouya and Father. He’s been featured in some of the genre’s top publications, including Complex, Noisey, XXL and has headlined Spotify’s Northern Bars and Hip Hop Central playlists.

"Sacrifices" is a song released by record label Dreamville, performed by American rappers EarthGang and J. Cole featuring fellow American rappers Smino and Saba. The song was released as the final track on the label's compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Craft</span> American rapper, singer, and songwriter (born 1993)

Marlon Craft is an American rapper and songwriter from Manhattan, New York. He released his debut studio album, Funhouse Mirror, in June 2019. He had also previously released numerous EPs and mixtapes.

References

  1. ↑ Bassa, A. "DXNext: YC the Cynic" . Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  2. ↑ The Company Man. "YC The Cynic – "You're Welcome" Album Review". Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Faces, Manny (26 February 2010). "First Impressions: YC The Cynic – You're Welcome" . Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  4. ↑ Richard. "YC the Cynic- Say Superman". Djbooth. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  5. ↑ Fortin, Derick. "ALBUM REVIEW: YC THE CYNIC – FALL FWD" . Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  6. ↑ JT, Langley. "Hip-hop won't stop in the South Bronx at the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective" . Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "OK-Tho.com's Top 25 Artists of 2013" http://www.ok-tho.com/2014/01/top-of-year-deans-list-top-25-artists.html
  8. ↑ HOT 97 (7 December 2016). "Who is this guy, Kemba, on Real Late with Peter Rosenberg?" – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (17 December 2016). "Watch Kendrick Lamar's Intimate Brooklyn Concert". Rolling Stone.
  10. ↑ "Kemba on Instagram: "Jamming to @anderson._paak at the video shoot for "Already." #BTS #AndersonPaak"". Instagram.
  11. ↑ James, Andy. "TDE's "John Doe 2" Dropped an Album In 2016, But Who Is It?". DJBooth.
  12. ↑ Cornish, Audie; Tanis, Fatma. "Through Grief and Growing Pains, Kemba Creates 'Gilda'". NPR.
  13. ↑ Barrow, Jerry (9 October 2020). "How Radha Blank's '40-Year-Old Version' Found Its Beat". Vibe.
  14. ↑ Berlin Music Video Awards (7 May 2021). "Winners of the Berlin Music Video Awards 2020". www.berlinmva.com.
  15. ↑ Beekman, Daniel (3 March 2011). "Hip-hop won't stop in the South Bronx at the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  16. ↑ Bassa, Amanda. "DXnext: YC the Cynic" . Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  17. ↑ Bassa, A. "DXNext: YC the Cynic" . Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  18. ↑ The Company Man. "YC the Cynic- 'You're Welcome' Album Review". Djbooth. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  19. ↑ richard. "YC the Cynic- Say Superman". Djbooth. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  20. ↑ Broke MC. "YC the Cynic release 'Fall FWD' mixtape at Southpaw tonight (03.01)" . Retrieved 25 April 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.