December 21, 2025
Returning to his independent roots, Kem has already scored a Billboard No. 1 song, with his latest hit single, ‘Rock With Me,’ on the Adult R&B Airplay.
When R&B recording artist Kem was introduced to the world as a singer, he launched his own record label, Kemistry Records, in 2002. Motown Records picked him up. For over 20 years, he was on the Motown Records roster, one of the best-known labels for Black artists, where he achieved success with seven albums, one EP, and numerous singles.
Now, Kem has returned to his roots: his latest project, distributed on Kemistry Records, is already exceeding expectations and has returned to the top of Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay with his latest hit, “Rock With Me.” This song marks his ninth No. 1 record. He is tied with Maxwell for fourth place for having the most No. 1s on the Adult R&B Airplay list, with the two of them on the heels of Tank and Usher, who have 10 apiece, while Charlie Wilson tops the list with 11.
Great company to be with.
BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with Kem to discuss what has been happening over the past couple of years and what’s on the horizon now that he is an independent artist again.
Now that we are here, almost 25 years after the world discovered him, he stated that, among all his accomplishments, one thing seems to elude him.
“I would have, I think, that one of the only things that’s missing is, uh, is a Grammy, right? I think that some of the things that I used to aspire to early on were being able to tour and to create music that lasted, you know, that stood the test of time, right?”
Having gone on the road with such legends as Charlie Wilson, the O’Jays, Frankie Beverly, and the Whispers, Kem’s goal was to not only make the type of music that would stand the test of time, but his stage game had to match the legends, as he aims to work as long as they have, if he chooses. The measure of success in music, for some, is to tour forever, as Frankie Beverly and Maze did, for example.
As Kem has been in the game for more than two decades, there is always the fear of returning after several years and finding no motion. Many artists face that reality when releasing new music. Now that Kem has re-entered the arena without Motown’s backing, it could present a challenge, but he already has a No. 1 hit. The talent is still there, although the overall environment has changed.
“I am evolving, but I’m not necessarily reinventing myself. I’m just staying true to the game that I started playing. You know? And, there’s always, there will always be room for great music.”
But, of course, technology changes as much, if not more than, the environment. That said, Kem also states he needs to change how he distributes the music, especially since streaming platforms have changed the game, while there is still traditional radio. With the two, at least, as an independent label, he can control how the music is disseminated, rather than having to wait for the label to dictate that. It also gives him the option to release certain songs directly to DSPs (Digital Service Providers) while still having a traditional radio rollout. It also allows him to give his fans special releases because they are dedicated to his music/channel.
But running Kemistry Records as an executive and also being the marquis artist is a challenge, but nothing new, as Kem has always had creative control, even when he was signed to Motown Records. But instead of relying on the major label for support, Kem has enlisted a core team: Music Director Willie Burnett, A&R and Creative Manager Rex Rideout, Head of Publicity Tavia Mapp-Deterville, Stylist Nafeesa Baptist, along with Andrew Asare and Denise Brown.
And speaking of technology and the current landscape, Kem is ready to accept the wave of artificial intelligence that has been seeping into the industry lately.
“If we find a way. I mean, there are ways that I think AI can be beneficial to the creative process. I think that there are aspects of AI that can be beneficial to the creative process. And it’s here, you know what I’m saying? So it don’t matter how I feel about it, ’cause it’s present, you know what I’m saying? So how can I get in line?”
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