Today we’d like to introduce you to Khamaaré.
Hi Khamaaré, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
On January 9th, 2003 I was born at Southern Regional Hospital in Riverdale, Georgia, to a beautiful, hardworking mother who made it all happen and gave me the childhood a kid dreams of. As a kid, I also spent a lot of time in Houston, Texas, not only gaining an extended family, but gaining parts of who I am today. Houston is where I was also introduced to Michael Jackson & Beyoncé by my family friend Ihsan Hasan, igniting my burning passion to perform before I even started pre-school. My family is full of music lovers: my mom, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, and my great-grandmother Alberta Mclarin, who is the most beautiful pianist I’ve ever heard play. My Grandma Debbie as well who loved Hip-Hop, Country, Soul, R&B, etc. She passed that love on through my Mother, Shaquala, who passed it on to me. Ironically, I just recently found out I’m related to Gladys Knight through marriage, so it is safe to say it’s in the family.
From that point on, I wouldn’t stop singing and soaking up music knowledge like a sponge. It got to the point where I told my papa if he turned on the radio right now, I could sing every song to him word for word, and at the age of six years old, I did. Years later after my father passed away, I transferred to L.O. Kimberly Elementary School, where I met Ms. Bryant, a teacher who encouraged me to take the stage, and it was like I never got off. Afterward, I met my lifelong teacher and mentor, Iris Denise Harris. She took that 6th-grade boy with the big voice, nurtured his talent, and built him up into the artist he is today. Shortly after, I met another teacher, Kameron Crutcher, who further nurtured my vocal ability while introducing me to the film industry. It was in high school when I began posting covers which gained attention from so many notable music/film figures such as Quincy Jones, Neyo, Suzette Quintanilla, Rashad Haughton, Jimmy Jam, Michael Bolton, Robin Thicke, Vidal Davis, Diane Warren, Beyoncé’s father Matthew Knowles, and so many more. Additionally, I had a viral moment when Actress/Singer-Songwriter Jude Demorest posted me singing to my sister which is where a few people might recognize me from. I went on to perform for Joel “JFly” Flynn who was the Grammy chapter president for Atlanta & Alabama at the time. Shortly after I had the honor of singing for Gary “Lil G” Jenkins, lead singer of legendary R&B group Silk at just 16 years old. While also honing my skills in songwriting, vocal producing & teaching myself various instruments.
Afterward, the pandemic came, and from then on, it was a time of hardships, loss, and high emotions. I watched my mom go through a very hard time and carry the weight of the world and still make it through. I cried many tears and lost another grandmother, my principal, and a childhood friend who was a sister to me. In the midst of this, an open call for an HBO series was posted, and for the heck of it, I submitted and surprisingly heard back. Although I didn’t get the part, but that moment sparked my interest in acting. The rest was history, and thanks to the support of, first and foremost, my Mother, Auntie Sheneé, Auntie Isatu, Auntie Antoinette, Aunt Billie, Auntie Neko, Uncle Kensley, Uncle Flav, Uncle Marco, Ms. Candis Lee, Ms.Beverly, Grandma Ruth, my cousins, siblings, my pack, and all my angels in heaven I did it. My papa and mom, who made sure I could get to set, and my Grandpa, without him, I wouldn’t have been able to attend The Lee Strasberg Institute and study under many amazing teachers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been some roadblocks on this road, but through God and my family, I pushed through it. I’ve lost a good amount of key people in my life at an early age. So, death is no stranger to me, but I also gained a lot of key people who would help me through my hardships in life. I faced a few bullies growing up. Funny enough I won homecoming king at one point, and still was getting picked on. I think the bumpiest road for me was navigating my grandma’s death. She was a superwoman, and she raised two superwomen. She was invincible in my eyes, and losing her was just not on my bingo card. In our grief period, my mom gave birth to my sister, and she was literally a gift from heaven. It was a dark time, and that beautiful little girl was a beacon of light because I don’t think any of us could see past that moment. My first memory of life was that she was the first person I saw. She was my first friend, my true best friend in this life. If the world hated me, I knew she would still love me. It will always haunt me that my sister won’t get to experience the magic of being one of Debbie’s grandchildren. I feel for my mom and auntie the most because daughters need their moms throughout their entire lives.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As of right now, I’ve been successfully working in film & tv since my junior year while never losing sight of the music and my career goals as an artist. I always want to be viewed as an overall entertainer, someone who can do it all and never be underestimated or boxed in. So, I’d like to hope at this stage of my life, I’m laying a strong foundation to forge a beautiful career in the same fashion as the artists who came before me. I’m most proud of my ability to overcome life’s challenges. What I believe sets me apart might be that I feel this is my individual calling no one can take this from me. What’s meant for you will always be for you. Everyone has a calling, and there have been times I tried to walk away or move on. In the end, destiny always calls back, and you can’t ignore it for long.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I constantly study the great artist like Michael, Whitney, Beyoncé, Luther, Prince, Mariah, Usher, etc. I watch how hard they work and I follow suit so that my sister Corie, Keniya, Kendra, Amiyah, my nephew legend, and anyone who sees themselves represented through me down the line knows they can do it too.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/khamaare
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@khamaare?si=281YQSAMhiNzb0i0
Image Credits
Credit to Annalisa Valero
