WHO IS ANT CLEMONS?
From Kanye Collabs to the Inauguration
A little luck, some good connections, and a whole lot of hustle transported Ant Clemons from restaurant worker to a presidential inauguration performance in less than five years.
The New Jersey singer-songwriter got his start in music while working at a Red Lobster in Philadelphia. He’d fly to Los Angeles as often as he could and attempt to make industry connections before returning home when he ran out of money. Eventually, he moved to the West Coast and couch surfed until his songwriting caught the attention of producer Bongo ByTheWay.
That connection led to Clemons’ collaboration with R&B artist Jeremih. The pair eventually traveled to Wyoming to play a demo for Kanye West. West included a song on his 2018 album Ye and Clemons is credited on the track titled “All Mine.”
From then on, Clemons has been a frequent West collaborator. He’s credited on three tracks on West’s 2019 album Jesus Is King and is one of the lead vocalists in the Sunday Service Choir.
The Clemons/West collaboration opened the door to work with other superstars. Recently, he worked with Beyonce to write a song for The Lion King soundtrack, and he co-wrote Camila Cabello’s 2020 single “My Oh My (feat. DaBaby). Other notable partnerships include Chance the Rapper, Ty Dolla $ign, Noah Cyrus, and Skrillex.
Last year, Clemons released his debut EP Happy 2 Be Here. The eight-track collection includes three features from Ty Dolla $ign, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams. In December 2020, Happy 2 Be Here was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.
Most recently, Clemons performed on one of America’s biggest stages. In December 2020, he and Justin Timberlake released their uplifting track “Better Days.” The duo performed it during President Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021.
Clemons already has a career filled with huge successes. Although we don’t know what’s coming next, we’re sure he’s on his way to superstardom.
