Kim Lamont Owens was born on July 23, 1967 in
Nashville, Tennessee. He moved to suburban
Detroit at age 5 and was raised in both
Pontiac and
Southfield, Michigan. Kem wrote, produced, and financed his self-released debut album,
Kemistry, with his
American Express card and by singing top 40 cover tunes in a wedding band and waiting tables. He was signed by
Motown Records in November 2001, which re-released the album on February 25, 2003. On August 25, 2014, Kem released his fourth studio album,
Promise to Love. He performed the
Grammy-nominated song "Nobody" from the album on the syndicated daytime talk show
Steve Harvey (which series also features a theme song by Kem) during the fourth season. On August 28, 2020, he released his fifth studio album,
Love Always Wins, which includes the singles "Lie To Me" and "Live Out Your Love" featuring
Toni Braxton. == Personal life ==