EPK

“I don’t make gospel or hip hop. I make LIFE music.”

Ken the Messenger, born Kendell Willis, is an inspirational songwriter and hip hop artist on a mission to bring the gospel to the ghetto. Being the grandson of a Bishop, Ken was raised with one foot in the rough streets of Chicago, and the other foot in the church. 

Today he strives to bridge the gap by allowing faith and love to meet people where they are, with music that could be played in the club, yet moving enough to be played on Sunday morning for all ages. God is present in every aspect of life, and Ken chooses to speak on it through music that you could also “turn up” to, without being boxed into any genre.

“If we can’t get them in the church to hear God’s message, then we gotta bring God’s message to them.”

Ken was formerly on the Chicago-based management team of Grammy Award-winner, Jonathan McReynolds and has performed over 100 shows (Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, Las Vegas, and Indiana). Ken has opened for Tasha Page-Lockhart, The Walls Group, Anthony Brown and Group TherAPy, and Nia Allen.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2023 – Nominated for 5 Prayze Factor Awards (Atlanta, GA)
  • Urban Solo Artist of the Year
  • Holy Hip Hop Solo Artist of the Year
  • Holy Hip Hop Duo
  • Song of the Year
  • Album of the Year
• 2022 – Won 2 Kingdom Image Awards (Columbus, OH)
  • Producer of the Year
  • Album of the Year (Ghetto Gospel)
• 2022 – Nominated for a Chicago Music Awards
  • Best Gospel Entertainer 
• 2021 – Nominated for a Chicago Music Awards
  • Best New Entertainer