Kem is performing at the 2014 Tom Joyner family Reunion Sky Show on Friday, August 29th! His new CD, “Promise to Love” goes on sale August 26th.
He stopped by the TJMS to talk about his new music and much more!
Click the links above to hear or read the entire interview below:
TJ: Kem.
KEM: What’s going on, man?
TOM JOYNER: What’s going on, man?
SYBIL WILKES: We need promise to love.
KEM: Promise to love.
TOM JOYNER: Man, it’s tight out here, isn’t it?
KEM: That’s right.
TOM JOYNER: Man, this whole thing in Ferguson.
KEM: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: And sending Eric Holder in now, Attorney General. It’s getting rough.
KEM: I think they need to, yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah.
KEM: Yeah, I think they need to.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah, yeah. All right, let’s change gears here.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Let’s get it smooth, eh? Smooth it out.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah, let’s get smooth. Let’s get smooth. First of all, I have a favor to ask.
KEM: Yeah?
TOM JOYNER: Sybil’s birthday is coming up this tomorrow.
SYBIL WILKES: It’s tomorrow.
KEM: It’s tomorrow.
TOM JOYNER: It’s tomorrow, it’s tomorrow.
SYBIL WILKES: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Sybil’s birthday is tomorrow, you’re here today.
KEM: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: If you could bang out a Happy Birthday …
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Bang out Sybil? (Laughter) You can bang out Sybil.
TOM JOYNER: It’s early in the morning.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: He’ll be holding it to you.
SYBIL WILKES: It wasn’t the way I would’ve asked him.
TOM JOYNER: You wouldn’t have put it quite that way.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: You can’t top that with a car.
TOM JOYNER: Not in …
SYBIL WILKES: Off air, maybe, Kem, but
TOM JOYNER: But you can’t bang out a Happy Birthday.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Bang out Sybil. (Laugh)
SYBIL WILKES: Bang out a Happy Birthday.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Put my name on that bang. (Laughter)
SYBIL WILKES: Now you’re ruining the moment, Jay. (Laughter)
TOM JOYNER: Kem is going to be with us at the Family Reunion.
SYBIL WILKES: Yes, he is.
JAB: Yes, he will.
TOM JOYNER: And I don’t know, when have you been home last? Because every time you go to a market to promote your new music …
KEM: Yeah?
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TOM JOYNER: … I hear about it, because in Texas they text me at 646464, and you’ve been a lot of places. When the last time you’ve been back to Detroit?
KEM: It’s been a minute. You know, I told you, we already are promoting Promise To Love, which is out on August 25th, like I’m running for President. I’m campaigning like I’m running for President. But, you know, serious talk though, I don’t take my listenership for granted
TOM JOYNER: No, you don’t. You never have.
KEM: So it’s important to go into these markets and see people face to face and thank them, you know, for their support of this classic R&B music face to face. You know, I learned that from you, man. I learned that from you, getting up at 3, 4 o’clock in the morning, man, out in the parking lot of Ralph’s and Kroger’s, you know what I mean? (Laughter)
TOM JOYNER: I like hugs and kisses. You know? Nice bosomy hugs too.
KEM: Yeah, nothing happens without the people, man. You got to let the people know you appreciate them.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah. And you do, you do.
SYBIL WILKES: And this will coincide with your fundraising event, your charity, Mack and Third.
KEM: Right, Mack and Third.
TOM JOYNER: It’s time for that again.
KEM: Mack and Third Live is happening on the 24th, the day before the release of the album, in Detroit. It’s an event, it’s a flagship event of my foundation, Mack and Third, which puts resources back in the hands of organizations and individuals that help people, like the people that helped me when I was homeless and in my addiction in Detroit. It’s a concert, it’s a benefit, people can come and get, you know, wellness services, blood pressure, cholesterol, activities for the kids, feed the homeless, collect canned goods, you know, so it’s good, I’m performing, and I’ve got some good friends of mine, and yours, the OJ’s are performing as well.
SYBIL WILKES: Nice.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah.
KEM: So it’s going to be a, we’re going to have a good time.
TOM JOYNER: Good, good, good. And you’re raising money for your foundation.
KEM: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
TOM JOYNER: Okay. Let me donate $5,000 to your foundation. From me personally.
KEM: I appreciate that, man.
SYBIL WILKES: Nice.
KEM: Thank you so much.
SYBIL WILKES: Very nice.
KEM: Yeah, absolutely.
TOM JOYNER: Because your foundation helps …
SYBIL WILKES: The people of Detroit.
KEM: It helps people of the metropolitan Detroit area.
SYBIL WILKES: Put Sybil down and me for $5,000.
TOM JOYNER: Put Sybil, put your name on this too?
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Put your name on this $5,000?
SYBIL WILKES: Jay would like to donate $5,000.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Put your name on the $5,000 donation?
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Yes, yes. (Laugh) It’s for a good cause, right?
TOM JOYNER: Yeah.
J. ANTHONY BROWN: Put my name on it.
TOM JOYNER: Put your name on it.
KEM: Yeah, but we’re helping people in the city of Detroit.
TOM JOYNER: You’re not going to put anything on it?
J. ANTHONY BROWN: I just did. (Laughter)
SYBIL WILKES: Oh, Lord.
TOM JOYNER: When we come back we’ll talk about the new music, and KEM will bang out Happy Birthday.
KEM: Watch out, now.
TOM JOYNER: Promise To Love.
SYBIL WILKES: That’s the new CD coming out next week.
TOM JOYNER: It goes on sale next week.
KEM: Yes, sir.
TOM JOYNER: Kem, all right, let’s take a listen to this new CD. This is called Nobody.
[Song]
SYBIL WILKES: Hmm.
TOM JOYNER: Ron Isley is featured?
KEM: Yeah, Ron Isley on My Favorite Thing, yeah, yeah, you know about that.
[Song]
TOM JOYNER: This sounds real for you.
KEM: Oh, yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Don’t Say Goodbye.
[Song]
SYBIL WILKES: That’s your girl.
KEM: That’s my artist, that’s my artist, El Renay, who’s also from Detroit, her record is coming out at the top of the year, but I put her single, Don’t Say Goodbye, on my record.
SYBIL WILKES: Nice.
TOM JOYNER: I fell in love with her on the cruise.
KEM: Yeah, yeah, yeah, she’s that, she’s that.
SYBIL WILKES: And good reason, she is phenomenal.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah.
KEM: Yes, and a sweetheart too.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah. Still got the short and sexy hair?
KEM: Absolutely. Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah, I like that. I like that. (Laughter) I really like that. You hooked up with Snoop Dogg?
KEM: Snoop Dogg’s on this record.
TOM JOYNER: Snoop Dogg and Kim.
KEM: Yeah, I know it sound, it sounds crazy, right?
TOM JOYNER: (Laugh)
SYBIL WILKES: Yeah, it does, yeah.
KEM: But somebody sent me a YouTube of Snoop and 2Chainz(?) singing I Can’t Stop Loving You. Right? So this rap that I was going to do myself, as soon as I saw it, I was like, dude, why rap when you can get a real rapper, you know what I mean? And we put the word out and, uh, and he graced us, he graced us with this presence on this album, I love him.
[Song]
TOM JOYNER: Aw, you didn’t put the rap on there. Okay, okay, okay. Soft Side of Love.
[Song]
TOM JOYNER: Why don’t you come on over for dinner? And put that knew Kem on. Oh, Lord, he put the new Kem on.
SYBIL WILKES: Now I got to stay.
TOM JOYNER: Now I got to stay, I didn’t come here for all this, I don’t …
[Song]
TOM JOYNER: Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, oh, Lord.
SYBIL WILKES: Hmm.
TOM JOYNER: Okay, so how many Kem CDs are we up to now?
KEM: This is the fourth studio album, not including the …
TOM JOYNER: The Christmas …
KEM: The Christmas record, but just my fourth studio album, yeah. It’s hard to believe, man, I was thinking about that on the way over here. I ain’t had a real job in over a decade.
SYBIL WILKES: (Laugh)
TOM JOYNER: Because it’s been ten years?
SYBIL WILKES: Ten years.
KEM: Yeah. Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: It’s been ten years?
ANTHONY BROWN: Out of your regular music, Kem, which is harder for you to put together? Christmas music?
KEM: Christmas music is harder.
ANTHONY BROWN: It is, eh?
KEM: Yeah.
ANTHONY BROWN: Because you got to write it in July or something like that.
KEM: You got to do it – right. Right.
SYBIL WILKES: In July.
TOM JOYNER: Kem, would you come out the basement?
ANTHONY BROWN: I’m writing Christmas songs!
TOM JOYNER: Kem, I got a sandwich for you.
ANTHONY BROWN: I’m writing Christmas songs!
KEM: Yeah, people picky about their Christmas music.
TOM JOYNER: Aren’t you hungry, Kem.
ANTHONY BROWN: (Laugh) No, no.
SYBIL WILKES: So in terms of picking your favorite Christmas songs? Or being mindful of other people’s favorites?
KEM: Either, you know, both. I mean writing a Christmas song is like, you know, you can’t be really cheesy, you know what I mean, but you got to get all the words in there, and there’s only so many words you can put in a Christmas song, right? And then when you’re doing somebody else’s record, every record’s been done so many times, so how are you going to approach this differently? You know what I mean?
SYBIL WILKES: Yeah, put that Kem spin on it.
[Song]
SYBIL WILKES: There’s your Christmas, I mean, your wedding song right there.
KEM: Yeah.
SYBIL WILKES: There’s your wedding song.
ANTHONY BROWN: No one needs that.
SYBIL WILKES: (Laugh)
TOM JOYNER: Says the bitter brother.
SYBIL WILKES: Everybody but ju, Bitter man, bitter man, bitter man.
ANTHONY BROWN: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Someone just texted and said your single, It’s You, is going to be their wedding song when they get married in October. You probably get a lot of requests to do weddings.
KEM: Yeah, I do weddings. Yeah, I’d be glad to sing at anybody’s wedding, you know?
SYBIL WILKES: Aw.
TOM JOYNER: Say what?
KEM: For $75,000. (Laughter) For $350,000 you can get me at your wedding.
ANTHONY BROWN: And I would like to.
SYBIL WILKES: I would like to.
KEM: But I’ve actually done that in the show, you know? Somebody will propose at the show, you know? And I’ve sang, I’ve gone to a couple of fan’s wedding and sang at their wedding.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah?
KEM: Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: I don’t know why you said that today.
KEM: Right? (Laugh)
TOM JOYNER: I’m going to send all these messages to you, okay?
ANTHONY BROWN: Yeah, you’re going to be busy.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah, you’re going to be busy. (Laugh) Yeah. And the single, It’s You.
KEM: The single, It’s You.
TOM JOYNER: Here it is.
TOM JOYNER: Kem, and It’s You. Promise To Love goes on sale next week.
KEM: Next week, August 25th.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah. And Happy Birthday, Sybil.
SYBIL WILKES: Really, thank you so much. This really is a great birthday present. I’m telling you, this CD, really, yesterday just lifted my heart. It really did.
TOM JOYNER: All because you were riding around and trying to get Ferguson off your mind for a minute.
SYBIL WILKES: Just consumed by all that’s going on and putting this in and driving yesterday just really took me to a whole other place, away from all of the madness and all of the sadness.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah, you listen to Kem and…
SYBIL WILKES: I don’t like downtown with Snoop, you know, Kem, but all of …
TOM JOYNER: And Jay, to get his mind off of everything, was watching ratchet reality shows last night.
SYBIL WILKES: Everybody has their own …
ANTHONY BROWN: right.
TOM JOYNER: All right, Kem, well, good luck on album, CD number four.
KEM: Number four. Yeah.
TOM JOYNER: CD number four, Promise To Love. On sale next week.
SYBIL WILKES: And good luck with Mack and Third this weekend yeah.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah.
KEM: Thank you, so much, and thanks, Tom, for the donation, we appreciate it, man.
TOM JOYNER: You got it. You got it.
SYBIL WILKES: And we’ll see you next week.
KEM: Absolutely.
TOM JOYNER: Yeah, after I’ve made my donation I’ve got no other …
ANTHONY BROWN: Sybil should be dry by then. (Laughter)
TOM JOYNER: I’ve got no other request to make a donation, but when you sang Happy Birthday everybody wants them to sing Happy Birthday to them now. (Laugh) All right, Kem, thanks for dropping by, man.
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REGISTER NOW for the 2014 Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion taking place August 28- September 1, 2014 in Orlando, Florida! For booking information, call 407-248-9191.
