Biography
Soulful, inspiring, authentic, and true describe the band’s artistry for many listeners, yet ASCENDANT embodies precisely that quality of steady ascent. From the outset the group has surmounted personal doubts and external barriers while fashioning emotionally resonant, soul-centered recordings at a moment when such expressions remain both uncommon and essential. The soaring vocal peaks, the enveloping warmth of layered harmonies, and the buoyant chord sequences and rhythms all convey the same invitation: listeners are urged to rise alongside the musicians.
Kael Mboya founded ASCENDANT in 2000, establishing it as an outlet for his distinctive compositional voice on keyboards and vocals. He enlisted his longtime collaborator Michael Lockett, who had served as vocalist for the 1990s R&B act Truce on Strictly Rhythm Records, and together they began charting a course through the prevailing R&B and soul landscape. Although the project encountered repeated interruptions, the focus on creating music that fosters uplift and forward movement never wavered. The present lineup comprises Curtis Kincaid on guitar and vocals, Eric Johnson on drums, and Renee Ruffin on vocals.
Among the band’s notable achievements are the Top 30 digital-radio placement of the single “It’s Not Over” featuring Angela Johnson, the Top 100 position on the Smooth Jazz Network chart for “Love Saved My Life,” eight nominations for the SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards, a 2025 nomination for Best R&B Artist from the Chicago Reader, and the 2004 Soul Patrol East Coast Convention Past/Future Legend of Black Music Award. Twenty-five years after its inception, ASCENDANT has matured into a commanding ensemble whose performances continue to energize and motivate audiences globally, sustained by consistently exceptional musicianship even as personnel have evolved.
Kael Mboya brings more than thirty years of professional experience as a keyboardist and recording artist. He has served as music director or keyboardist for numerous performers during extensive tours across the United States and overseas, among them Grammy recipient Malik Yusef and rapper-producer Legendary Traxster, and he has shared stages with keyboard virtuoso George Duke. Remaining faithful to the demands of each musical situation, Kael extends his production and performance skills to a range of independent artists through Ascendant Music Inc., which encompasses both the band ASCENDANT and the publishing division Ascendant Sounds (ASCAP).
Michael Lockett entered the industry three decades ago with music already central to his upbringing; both parents sang, and he began performing in childhood. He joined the ensemble Chi-ILL, later renamed Truce, in 1991. The group captured multiple local talent competitions in Chicago and triumphed at the Apollo Theater in New York City. In 1995 Truce issued the single “Pump It” on Strictly Rhythm Records and toured the United States, supporting Roy Ayers, as well as performing in Italy.
Renée Ruffin has sung since early childhood, initially entertaining relatives with impressions of Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and Cher, then participating in church and school choirs before establishing herself as a studio vocalist and band member in both lead and supporting roles. Her aim remains to convey an appreciation for life and humanity through song. That reputation as a compelling, deeply soulful performer has been reinforced by extended associations with Chicago mainstays including Marvin Tate’s D-Settlement, Funkadesi, and Bumpus.
Originally from Mississippi, Curtis Kincaid relocated to Chicago at a young age. He took up the guitar during his teenage years, developed rapidly, and broadened his abilities across additional instruments and into production. He has since recorded and released two albums of original material from his own professional studio. His production credits include work alongside Grammy-nominated producer Legendary Traxster (Twista, Do Or Die, Mariah Carey), NO ID (Common, Jay-Z, Toni Braxton), and Grammy-winning producer Shekspere (TLC, Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men). He has also opened for Brian McKnight, Yolanda Adams, and Donnie McClurkin.
Chicago-born Eric Johnson commands an expansive rhythmic vocabulary spanning African and Latin polyrhythms, rock, R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop, delivering both power and precision. This breadth has made him a sought-after collaborator across genres for artists such as Kanye West, Angie Stone, Dru Hill, Chingy, Pras of The Fugees, Jackie Dustin, The Pentecostals of Chicago Choir, The Turks & Caicos Mass Choir, Twinkie Clark, Sakura Nozaki, Martha Reeves, Shannon Harris, Glenn Underground, and The Arkansas Mass Choir. He supplies the same intensity to the rhythm sections of Tycoon Dog, Christina Gaudet, Reverend Billy and the Church of Life After Shopping Gospel Choir, and Turbine. Eric has also produced tracks for A.O.N., Lupe Fiasco, and Street Clergy and releases his own material under the DJ name DJ MARBLL.
Kael Mboya founded ASCENDANT in 2000, establishing it as an outlet for his distinctive compositional voice on keyboards and vocals. He enlisted his longtime collaborator Michael Lockett, who had served as vocalist for the 1990s R&B act Truce on Strictly Rhythm Records, and together they began charting a course through the prevailing R&B and soul landscape. Although the project encountered repeated interruptions, the focus on creating music that fosters uplift and forward movement never wavered. The present lineup comprises Curtis Kincaid on guitar and vocals, Eric Johnson on drums, and Renee Ruffin on vocals.
Among the band’s notable achievements are the Top 30 digital-radio placement of the single “It’s Not Over” featuring Angela Johnson, the Top 100 position on the Smooth Jazz Network chart for “Love Saved My Life,” eight nominations for the SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards, a 2025 nomination for Best R&B Artist from the Chicago Reader, and the 2004 Soul Patrol East Coast Convention Past/Future Legend of Black Music Award. Twenty-five years after its inception, ASCENDANT has matured into a commanding ensemble whose performances continue to energize and motivate audiences globally, sustained by consistently exceptional musicianship even as personnel have evolved.
Kael Mboya brings more than thirty years of professional experience as a keyboardist and recording artist. He has served as music director or keyboardist for numerous performers during extensive tours across the United States and overseas, among them Grammy recipient Malik Yusef and rapper-producer Legendary Traxster, and he has shared stages with keyboard virtuoso George Duke. Remaining faithful to the demands of each musical situation, Kael extends his production and performance skills to a range of independent artists through Ascendant Music Inc., which encompasses both the band ASCENDANT and the publishing division Ascendant Sounds (ASCAP).
Michael Lockett entered the industry three decades ago with music already central to his upbringing; both parents sang, and he began performing in childhood. He joined the ensemble Chi-ILL, later renamed Truce, in 1991. The group captured multiple local talent competitions in Chicago and triumphed at the Apollo Theater in New York City. In 1995 Truce issued the single “Pump It” on Strictly Rhythm Records and toured the United States, supporting Roy Ayers, as well as performing in Italy.
Renée Ruffin has sung since early childhood, initially entertaining relatives with impressions of Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and Cher, then participating in church and school choirs before establishing herself as a studio vocalist and band member in both lead and supporting roles. Her aim remains to convey an appreciation for life and humanity through song. That reputation as a compelling, deeply soulful performer has been reinforced by extended associations with Chicago mainstays including Marvin Tate’s D-Settlement, Funkadesi, and Bumpus.
Originally from Mississippi, Curtis Kincaid relocated to Chicago at a young age. He took up the guitar during his teenage years, developed rapidly, and broadened his abilities across additional instruments and into production. He has since recorded and released two albums of original material from his own professional studio. His production credits include work alongside Grammy-nominated producer Legendary Traxster (Twista, Do Or Die, Mariah Carey), NO ID (Common, Jay-Z, Toni Braxton), and Grammy-winning producer Shekspere (TLC, Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men). He has also opened for Brian McKnight, Yolanda Adams, and Donnie McClurkin.
Chicago-born Eric Johnson commands an expansive rhythmic vocabulary spanning African and Latin polyrhythms, rock, R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop, delivering both power and precision. This breadth has made him a sought-after collaborator across genres for artists such as Kanye West, Angie Stone, Dru Hill, Chingy, Pras of The Fugees, Jackie Dustin, The Pentecostals of Chicago Choir, The Turks & Caicos Mass Choir, Twinkie Clark, Sakura Nozaki, Martha Reeves, Shannon Harris, Glenn Underground, and The Arkansas Mass Choir. He supplies the same intensity to the rhythm sections of Tycoon Dog, Christina Gaudet, Reverend Billy and the Church of Life After Shopping Gospel Choir, and Turbine. Eric has also produced tracks for A.O.N., Lupe Fiasco, and Street Clergy and releases his own material under the DJ name DJ MARBLL.
Albums
Singles
