Biography
Originally known by the stage name YC the Cynic, Bronx-born rapper and producer Kemba first surfaced as a teenager whose grasp of hip-hop history and personal style exceeded his age. After gaining traction through the early and middle part of the 2010s under that initial moniker, the artist adopted Kemba as his new performing identity. The switch was cemented by the independent 2016 release Negus, after which he signed with Republic and delivered the singles “Exhale” in 2018 and “Deadass” in 2019.
Matthew Jefferson, raised in the Hunts Point section of New York City’s South Bronx, first attracted notice performing as YC the Cynic. His introduction came with the 2010 mixtape You’re Welcome, on which the nineteen-year-old paid homage to Digable Planets, Big L, and Fugees while establishing his own deliberate lyricism and precise delivery. Subsequent solo projects and a joint effort with Frank Drake preceded the full adoption of the Kemba name, realized on the self-released Negus in 2016. A pair of standalone tracks appeared the following year, leading to his association with Republic. The label introduced the 2018 single “Exhale,” co-produced by Frank Drake and Brasstracks and featuring Smino, followed by the self-produced “Deadass” in 2019.
Matthew Jefferson, raised in the Hunts Point section of New York City’s South Bronx, first attracted notice performing as YC the Cynic. His introduction came with the 2010 mixtape You’re Welcome, on which the nineteen-year-old paid homage to Digable Planets, Big L, and Fugees while establishing his own deliberate lyricism and precise delivery. Subsequent solo projects and a joint effort with Frank Drake preceded the full adoption of the Kemba name, realized on the self-released Negus in 2016. A pair of standalone tracks appeared the following year, leading to his association with Republic. The label introduced the 2018 single “Exhale,” co-produced by Frank Drake and Brasstracks and featuring Smino, followed by the self-produced “Deadass” in 2019.
Albums
Singles
