A native of the Hunts Point neighborhood in the South Bronx of New York City, Matthew Jefferson made a name for himself as YC the Cynic. Under that name, he debuted in 2010 with the mixtape You're Welcome, throughout which the then 19-year-old referenced and paid tribute to inspirations including Digable Planets, Big L, and Fugees, all the while showcasing a purposeful lyricism and exacting flow of his own. After another solo mixtape and a co-headlining collaboration with Frank Drake, Jefferson changed his performing alias to Kemba, and made the transition complete with the self-released 2016 tape Negus. A couple singles followed in 2017, after which he began an affiliation with major-label Republic. First was the 2018 single "Exhale," co-produced by Frank Drake and Brasstracks with an appearance from Smino. The second Kemba single for Republic, the self-produced "Deadass," arrived in 2019. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi
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Nobody I Can Trust |
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Deadass |
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Exhale |