Toronto’s own Kem’Yah isn’t just making music—he’s channeling a movement. His latest EP, Bantu Liberty, is more than just a collection of tracks; it’s a spiritual odyssey, a call to decolonize the mind, and a fearless exploration of identity. Fusing rap, R&B, jazz, and Congolese rumba with hypnotic rhythms and raw storytelling, Kem’Yah has crafted an immersive experience that blurs genre lines while diving deep into ancestral wisdom.
From the first track, Bantu Liberty grips you, pulling you into a world where traditional African thought meets modern-day realities. The EP is built on the foundation of self-liberation—rejecting colonial mentalities, rediscovering ancestral practices, and embracing the power of cultural heritage. “Liberty starts in the mind, reality will follow the ideas you provide it,” Kem’Yah proclaims, a mantra that pulses through each track like a guiding light.
His creative process is equally as profound as the music itself. For Kem’Yah, the journey into sound is spiritual, shaped by meditation, prayer, and the occasional smoke session to tap into higher consciousness. And this project isn’t just inspired—it’s divinely guided. While recording, he felt the presence of his late mother, an experience that reaffirmed the EP’s deeper purpose. You don’t just hear Bantu Liberty; you feel it in your bones.
The influences here are as rich as the themes. Kem’Yah blends the call-to-action urgency of Lauryn Hill with the bold grit of Buju Banton, layering it over the entrancing energy of Congolese greats like Koffi Olomide and Werason. But make no mistake—this isn’t just homage. It’s reinvention. His music absorbs the pulse of Toronto’s multicultural landscape, crafting a sound that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
The EP follows his debut, Kongo Nkisi, but this time, the vulnerability and rawness have deepened. This project isn’t afraid to be honest, urgent, and unapologetic in its messaging. It’s the kind of music that lingers in your mind long after the final track fades—both in rhythm and in thought.
So where does Kem’Yah go from here? He’s keeping us guessing, but one thing’s clear: his artistry is only growing bolder. If Bantu Liberty is the blueprint for liberation, then this is just the beginning of the revolution.
The Bantu Liberty EP focuses on the importance of remembering spiritual, emotional, and cultural practices for Bantu people's liberty. How did these themes come together for you during the creative process, and how do they reflect your personal journey?
This EP, like My debut, required Me to fully surrender My western ideologies and philosophies in order to transparently present a Bantu concept of Liberty. In My personal journey, I've been spiritual forced in a sense to seek, comprehend, remember and relearn the spiritual knowledge and sciences My ancestors used to guide them in life.
You mention that your music is spiritual and enlightening, and that you reach deeper states of creation through meditation, prayer, and smoking. Can you share a moment or experience during the making of Bantu Liberty where you truly felt connected to that spiritual essence?
Feeling and seeing My late Mother's spirit on the day of recording solidified that this body of work is truly as special as it feels.
You’ve mentioned the influence of artists like Lauryn Hill, Buju Banton, and Koffi Olomide. How have these legends shaped your sound and approach to blending genres like rap, R&B, and Congolese music in Bantu Liberty?
Lauryn Hills music has always inspired a type of call to action per se, as well as Buju, for Me at least. So merging the intensity of their messages with the charisma and emotion of Congolese sound and then the influence of Toronto's diversity just makes for the fusion that became Bantu Liberty.
"Liberty starts in the mind, reality will follow the ideas you provide it" is such a powerful quote. How does this philosophy tie into the overall message of Bantu Liberty, and what do you hope your listeners take away from it?
When the Bantu people and essentially all indigenous oppressed people change their minds about how they view this world (colonial world), then we can aspire to see true effective change and ultimately that's the underlying message of the EP.
Your debut EP Kongo Nkisi was a monumental step, and now you’re following it up with Bantu Liberty. How do you see this new project as an evolution of your artistry, and where do you want to take your sound and message next?
This project helped Me tap into a level of vulnerability as a creative that fueled a pure, honest and unapologetic form of expression that will intensify with each creation moving forward. As for the next step, gotta keep the people guessing right.