Khemist

Philadelphia-bred songwriter, MC, guitarist, poet and prolific musician, Khemist is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed artist and bonafide lyrical force to be reckoned with. Hailing from Philly’s Logan Valley, Khemist’s eclectic body of work reflects his bittersweet upbringing amidst the blighted streets of the hardscrabble city, yet defies falling into stereotypical music categorizations.

Influenced by greats, such as Sonia Sanchez, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Black Ice, Mums Da Schemer, Nas, Toni Morrison, Robert Browning, Nikki Giovanni and Octavia Butler, Khemist’s layered lyrics speak of survival and self-reliance, loss and longing, with a razor-sharp delivery that resonates with his legions fans, including Lauryn Hill, Black Thought, Bilal, and Pharoahe Monch.

Ironically, it was years of not speaking during his childhood -- from fifth to eighth grade -- that Khemist credits with leading him to a career as a journeyman lyricist. While at the playground, Khemist came across an injured bleeding man facing certain death. An older man told Khemist to keep his mouth shut about the shocking scene he just witnessed -- and that is exactly what he did. In an instant, Khemist was robbed of his innocence by a death he never actually saw, but could not unsee. Coupled with the trauma of the subsequent loss of friends to senseless crime and the American carceral system, Khemist became desensitized to violence, yet determined to serve as a voice for the voiceless.