Kem and Tamia

Kem's beginnings in music could be described as something of a necessity as opposed to a choice. After he graduated high school, the artist was forced to deal with homelessness, addiction, and isolation from his family at a young age. He has stated that:''My career didn't take off until I connected with my spirituality''.

His debut album 'Kemistry' was released in February 2003 and broke into the US top 100. It wasn't until the follow-up album aptly titled 'Album II' was released in May 2005 that Owens achieved commercial success. This album features an Urban Charts #20 hit in the form of single 'I Can't Stop Loving You' and a duet with the legendary Stevie Wonder on a track titled 'You Might Win'. It now holds a platinum selling certificate in the States.

His next album 'Intimacy: Album III' came five years later and peaked at #2 on the US Billboard, his highest position to date whilst 'Promise To Love' which came out in 2014 hit #3. The latter did however top the US R & B chart upon release. In 2011 Kem received two nominations at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best R&B Male Performance and Best R&B Song for 'Why Would You Stay'.

Canada might not be a renowned hotbed of soul singing sensations, but Tamia Marilyn Hill could quite easily be the exception to that. Having grown up in Windsor, Ontario, she was raised a stone’s throw from the Detroit border, and living so near a place that actually is a renowned hotbed of soul singing sensations, it rubbed off on her. Her early musical influences came from the songs she heard in church and the music that her mother played her from an early age and by six, she was in her church’s choir. By the age of 12 she had already been involved in several local musical productions, and recognising the talent and drive she had to be as good as she could be, her family set her up with voice and piano lessons from fellow Windsor, Ontario native Eugene Davis.

When she was 18 years old she won the Canadian TV station YTV’s Vocal Achievement. This was a national competition that led to her securing a record contract with Qwest Records, so she began recording her debut album in 1995, when she was 20 years old. Her first couple of singles were hits on the R&B Charts but it wasn’t until 1996 that she saw her first major success. Her single “Missing You”, which she recorded in collaboration with Brandy, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan hurtles into the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100, cementing her status as one of the most exciting singers of her generation. This success continued into the new millennium, where her single “Stranger In My House” hurtled into the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001.

Since then, Tamia has had an abundance of success in both the albums and singles charts. Her self-titled debut, her second effort “A Nu Day”, and 2004’s “More” were all certified Gold within the year of their release. She featured on a top five hit on the Hot 100 with Fabolos’ single “Into You”, and has had countless hits on the R&B Charts. All of this comes with far more critical acclaim than one might expect from your average R&B star. She’s still releasing albums and touring to this day, even after beating Multiple Sclerosis in 2003, and with a new album coming out soon on Def Jam, Tami comes highly recommended.