KEM With vocal stylings reminiscent of jazz great Al Jarreau and a delivery as smooth as his clean-shaven head, adult-contemporary R&B star Kem is guaranteed to move the grown and sexy crowd. His 2003 debut, Kemistry, yielded an instant classic with mid-tempo “Love Calls.” Since then, he’s released two more albums, all certified gold. And with good reason — not only does Kem write and arrange most of his music, but he has an intimate, magnetic style that shines in live performances. Not to mention, a four-octave range that he is in complete control of, pulling the listeners in before unleashing the its force. His story, of a hard-luck past in Detroit that includes stints of homelessness, informs his songs of heartache and renewal. Kem doesn’t break any bounds lyrically — he doesn’t have to. He’s already done so in real life.
Emiene Wright
Price: $55-$115