Kwamé

Kwamé
Holland at a panel on hip hop and comics at the 2014 New York Comic Con
Background information
Birth name	Kwamé Holland
Also known as	K-1 Million, K1 Mil
Genres	Hip hop, R&B, Pop
Occupation(s)	Rapper, Producer
Years active	1988–1994, 2001–present
Labels	Atlantic Records
Associated acts	Skillz, Missy Elliott, Tweet, Christina Aguilera, LL Cool J, Fantasia, Salt-N-Pepa, Kid 'n Play, Sweet Tee, Antoinette

Kwamé (born 1973) is an American rapper who enjoyed brief popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is currently a music producer, sometimes credited as K-1 Million or K1 Mil.

In 1989, aged 16, Kwamé released his debut album, Kwamé the Boy Genius featuring a New Beginning, which he also produced with the aid of Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor. The 'A New Beginning' of the title refers to his backing band, which was unusual amongst emcees of the time. The album spawned the singles "The Man We All Know and Love" and "The Rhythm." The accompanying music videos featured a polka-dot motif in the costumes and production design. This was to become Kwamé's trademark and a hip hop fashion trend, as fans of his began wearing polka-dotted clothing. In 1990, Kwamé released his second album A Day in the Life: a Pokadelick Adventure, a concept album about a day in the life of a high school student. The album spawned the hit singles "Oneovdabigboiz" and "Ownlee Eue."

In 1992, aged 18, he released his third album, Nastee. This album marked a departure for him, discarding the polka-dots and writing more sexually charged lyrics, in contrast to his previously playful, intellectual persona. The title track was a minor hit but the album quickly fell from the charts. His fourth album, 1994's Incognito failed to chart.

In 2000, Kwamé reemerged as a music producer, sometimes working under the name K-1 Million. He has produced for many artists, such as LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Missy Elliott, and Christina Aguilera. In 2004, he had a major success as the co-producer (with Eminem) of Lloyd Banks' smash hit song "On Fire." In 2005, he had more success with co-writing and co-producing Tweet's single "Turn da Lights Off and Will Smith's single "Switch". As a producer, Kwamé has sold over 30 million records.