Hailing from West Africa, and currently living in France, Philemon is a breath of fresh air. Combining hip-hop, soul, jazz, African, and Afro-Cuban influences in his music, Philemon will have you nodding your head the entire time. His father is the influential Congolese songwriter and vocalist Tabu Ley Rochereau. Philemon's debut album, L'Excuse (2007), reached critical acclaim and had notable features and collaborations with the likes of Zazie, Diam and MC Solaar. If the current songs on his website are any indication of the quality of  his forthcoming mixtape, Black, then we're in for a treat. Watch him perform "El Jazziness" live at Le Reservoir in the video above.

Philemon is set to perform live at the only International hip hop showcase at CMJ this year. Check the flyer below for more details.