About Me
Biography excerpt from Kashif's own book "Everything You'd Better Know About the Record Industry", Brooklyn Boy Books; 1 edition (January 1996):"One might ask how does a songwriter/musician/producer whose career has spanned over four decades end up with a song on Janet Jackson's newest CD (R&B Junkie). ..r examination you find that it is not that surprising when you are talking about Kashif. From his teenage years as a member of the '70's seminal funk band B.T. Express, through his award-winning albums as a solo artist Kashif has always been an innovator. With seemingly ease he has amassed accomplishments as a musician, author, software developer, lecturer, film producer, and educator. Some would even describe him as a modern day renaissance man, whose cutting edge approach has placed him in the upper echelons of contemporary music. But music is and always will be his first love.As a producer/songwriter he has produced and or written smash hits for Whitney Houston, Kenny G., George Benson, Barry White, Lil Kim, Evelyn Champagne King, Will Downing, Dionne Warwick, Howard Johnson, Johnny Kemp, Glenn Jones, Al Jarreau, Da Brat, and Me'lisa Morgan just to name a few.Never knowing his real parents, Kashif (whose name means "inventor, discoverer and magic maker") grew up in eight foster homes. Learning to play a $3.00 song flute at the age of seven provided him with what turned out to be an important common denominator in his unstable environments. By age 15 when he joined B.T. Express whose credits included early funk/dance hits like "Here Comes The Express" and "Do It 'Til You're Satisfied", Kashif was already an accomplished musician.It was while he was signed as a solo artist with Arista Records, that Kashif teamed with New England Digital to help further develop the Synclavier, the world's first sampler. His use of the computerized instrument literally changed the face of the music industry. With hit records like "I Just Got To Have You (Lover Turn Me On)", "Stone Love", "Help Yourself To My Love" and the Grammy-nominated instrumental "The Mood", Kashif began creating a solid reputation among record buyers for his own distinctive musical sound.His second album, "Send Me Your Love" resulted in two Grammy nominations ("Edgartown Groove", featuring Al Jarreau, and "Call Me Tonight"), while his 1985 release "Condition of the Heart" also yielded another Grammy nomination with "The Movie Song." He wrote and produced "Inside Love for George Benson and literally launched the career Kenny G. with the electrifying "Hi How Ya Doin', and "Nightime In Tribeca". He then teamed up with then-newcomer Whitney Houston. The result was Whitney's first across-the-board smash "You Give Good Love", which he also co-wrote, and "Thinking About You", a single track from Whitney's astounding 17-million selling debut-album.Kashif also worked with Whitney Houston on her second, 15-million selling album. He produced and was the legendary Dionne Warwick's duet partner on the hit "Reservations For Two". He also enjoyed a major hit of his own with "Love Changes", a duet with Mel'isa Morgan taken from his best-selling album of the same name, following it with "Kashif", another well-received LP. Kashif has amassed numerous gold and platinum albums for his works.In the 1996, with an invitation from the famed UCLA Extension program, Kashif created a course called "Contemporary Record Production With Kashif". He also wrote and self-published the now highly acclaimed book "Everything You'd Better Know About The Record Industry."Always on the cutting edge, in year 2001 Kashif started Brooklyn Boy Software and developed three revolutionary software products, the Music studio Organizer, Music Business 411, and the Complete Music contracts Pack.Most recent music projects include producing "Brooklyn Breezes for R&B great Will Downing, producing the Duke Ellington Tribute CD for the Duke Ellington Foundation featuring Nancy Wilson, Kenny Lattimore, Snookie Young, and other original members from Dukes band. The theme song for the 2001 Para-Olympics can be credited to Kashif.September, 2003 marks the release of "Music From My Mind", a double CD. The 15 new songs plus the entire first Kashif LP on Arista records is being release on CD for the first time ever. With songs like "Nothin In The World Like A Black Woman", "Superfly", and 'Tossin Turnin" from the new set and "Lover Turn Me", Help Yourself To My Love, and Stonelove from the old school set "Music From My Mind" is sure to become a mainstay in CD players and on radio stations around the world for years to come.With a career that spans over four decades, with over 70 million records sold and the most recommended book on the music business Kashif continues to be one of music industry's most sought after songwriters, producers, authors, artists and innovators."
