Born in
New York City to West African parents from Cameroon, 88-Keys was raised in the
Eastchester section of the
Bronx and later in
West Hempstead on
Long Island, where he attended high school. 88-Keys first took an interest in
hip hop after hearing
Prince Paul's
production on
De La Soul's 1989 critically acclaimed album
3 Feet High and Rising. In the early 1990s, 88-Keys met rapper-producers
Q-Tip,
Pete Rock and
Large Professor, while working as an intern at West Hempstead's The Music Palace recording studio. It was Large Professor who gave Charles his 88-Keys moniker after witnessing his skills on the
Ensoniq ASR-10 keyboard. Upon considering a serious career in music, 88-Keys's parents and older brother began trying to push him into the field of medicine, because it was a more "professional field" and the music industry did not seem like a lucrative move. After briefly attending
Hofstra University and
Queens College, 88-Keys dropped out to pursue his dreams of being a record producer. His decision was fueled by an opportunity to record tracks with
The Pharcyde, who were recording in California. In addition to his passion for music, 88-Keys has expressed his love for fashion, most notably
Ralph Lauren. In a 2008 interview with
Metro, 88-Keys revealed that he had worn
Polo Ralph Lauren every day for 16 years. According to the article, 88-Keys began wearing Polo Ralph Lauren as a Long Island high school student in 1992, when he developed a liking for its classic, preppy style. As of 2008, his wardrobe included over 700 Polo pieces. the
concept album tells the story of a man named Adam, who has been murdered in a loft apartment in Harlem. In August 2008, a fifteen-track
mixtape titled ''Adam's Case Files
was released as a prequel to The Death of Adam''. The album's first single, titled "
Stay Up! (Viagra)", was officially released through iTunes on September 9, 2008. In December 2008, 88-Keys was featured as
Spin Artist of the Day. In 2009, 88-Keys worked in
Atlanta with new female duo
Addictive on a track for an upcoming album. In June 2019, 88-Keys announced that a song he produced titled "
That's Life", featuring
Sia and
Mac Miller, had been approved for release by Miller's estate, and was released through
Warner Records on June 20, 2019. ==Discography==