Kempi

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Kempi is the stage name of Jerreley Zanian John Slijger, born June 18, 1986, in Helmond, Netherlands. He grew up in Eindhoven and started writing about street life after joining a hip-hop group called Drama. He released his first mixtape, Tsss Kempi, in 2006, and later signed with the Dutch label TopNotch while already in jail. By 2012 he had produced two studio albums, four EPs, and seven mixtapes.

In 2008, Kempi was named Best Hip-Hop Artist at the Dutch State Awards. He has a long criminal record and has spent multiple periods in prison, including for assault, threats with a firearm, and other charges. His debut album Du Zoon came out while he was in prison. His second studio album, Het Testament van Zanian Adamus, was released in 2011.

Kempi announced he would quit making music in 2012, but he tried a comeback in 2013 with the single Trug Ben. Soon after, he faced more legal trouble for involvement with a 16-year-old girl and was imprisoned again, finally released in December 2014. In 2018, he announced that he had converted to Islam. Kempi’s music is known for its hard, street-focused style, and his influences include Tupac Shakur, Lil Wayne, and Dutch rapper Duvel.