Kellindo is about to be a household name

You know Janelle Monáe. You know James Brown. You are going to know Kellindo.

The nephew of Maceo and Melvin Parker—band members for James Brown—Kellindo has music in his blood. Since picking up his first guitar at age eight, Kellindo has performed with Prince, Stevie Wonder, and has been a longtime collaborator of Janelle Monáe, playing guitar on her four Grammy-nominated records. He has toured the world playing on some of the biggest stages, including the Oscars and the Grammys, and has even played for Karl Lagerfeld and Barack Obama. He’s already had a dream career, and he’s just getting started.

After more than a decade of performing with the gods and goddesses of music, Kellindo is ready to take center stage. This Friday he is set to drop a single, “Long Gone,” from his rock-opera debut album, Shattered Rhapsody, set for release in 2021.

We had high expectations, given Kellindo’s resume.

And we were completely blown away.

“Long Gone” is an epic rock ‘n’ roll track that can only be described as a hit. Just as his father made history as the first full-time black law professor at Columbia University (and, of course, he is also known for embracing jazz as a framework for understanding the law—as one does), Kellindo has the potential to make history in the music industry. He clearly has the technical abilities, annihilating the fretboard in a manner reminiscent of heavy-hitting classic rock royalty—but he also has the kind of soulful style that can’t be manufactured.

Our only complaint is that we need to wait until next year to hear more from this soon-to-be household name. In the meantime, listen to Kellindo kill it on Janelle Monáe’s “Turntables,” and play “Long Gone” on repeat.

Follow Kellindo on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and tell all your friends about this musician you just discovered who’s about to be big.