K'Jon

Detroit-based singer and songwriter K'jon was first exposed on the airwaves of his city in 2001 with "My Shorty," a single spun prominently by a couple local R&B stations. The modest hometown success led to a spot on the soundtrack for the 2003 movie 2 Fast 2 Furious, with the laid-back and Latin-flavored "Miami." K'jon collaborated with several artists on Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label, including Shareefa, for whom he co-wrote three tracks that appeared on the 2006 album Point Of No Return. At the same time, he was continuing to build his reputation as a solo artist. "Yes Sir" repeated his Detroit radio success and preceded his debut album, the independently released This Is Me, issued around the same time as Shareefa's set. The Ballroom Xplosion, another independent disc, followed in 2007, and it featured the single "On the Ocean," his greatest success to date, which led to a major-label deal with Universal Republic. Released nationally, "On the Ocean" reached the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart by April 2009. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi