Unknown and misidentified when he emerged in 2018 on
Kanye West's "All Mine," contemporary R&B artist
Ant Clemons has since become a highly sought-after collaborative singer and songwriter, counting
Beyoncé and
Skrillex among the varied stars who have tracked him down to contribute to Grammy-nominated recordings. Building upon his work for other artists,
Clemons garnered yet more acclaim with the release of his 2020 debut solo EP, Happy 2 Be Here, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album. Following 2020's "Better Days" with
Justin Timberlake, he re-released Happy 2 Be Here in 2021, adding the single "June 1st."
A native of New Jersey,
Clemons started making regular trips to Los Angeles in 2016, hoping to enter the music industry as a songwriter. After he connected with
Ryan Toby (formerly of
City High and a co-writer of hits for
Will Smith and
Justin Bieber), he landed a co-writing credit the next year on Luke James' "Drip." Shortly thereafter,
Clemons made a strong creative bond with writer/producer
Uforo "Bongo" Ebong. A demo on which they worked with
Jeremih developed into
Kanye West's "All Mine," which showcased
Clemons' nimble falsetto -- without a formal featured credit, spurring speculation that
Jeremih was the singer -- and credited him as a co-writer. The track reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2018 and went platinum three months later.
West also had
Clemons contribute to
Teyana Taylor's
K.T.S.E. Suddenly in demand,
Clemons co-wrote and/or sang background on a slew of releases throughout the next year, including
YBN Cordae's
The Lost Boy,
Beyoncé's
The Lion King: The Gift, and
Skrillex's "Midnight Hour."
Meanwhile,
Clemons juggled sessions with
West and other singers and rappers and was making progress as a solo artist. In October 2019, he made his debut as a headliner with "4 Letter Word," co-produced by
Timbaland, and was heard again on
Jesus Is King, another number one album by
West. After the Recording Academy announced Grammy nominations for
YBN Cordae,
Beyoncé, and
Skrillex,
Clemons added to his solo discography with "Excited," featuring
Ty Dolla $ign, and soon followed it with "Beep."
Clemons' three singles appeared on the eight-track set Happy 2 Be Here in February 2020. Among the new songs was the
Pharrell Williams collaboration "Aladdin." The following year, he teamed up with
Justin Timberlake for the inspirational "Better Days." Marking three years since his 2018 breakthrough with
West's "All Mine,"
Clemons re-released his EP as the Happy 2 Be Here (Anniversary Edition), which featured the added track "June 1st." ~ Andy Kellman