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At the beginning of the “New Jack Swing” movement, Teddy Riley played an integral part in the late Johnny Kemp’s success. His production on Kemp’s 1988 single “Just Got Paid” helped propel the track to a top 10 Billboard single that stayed on the charts for 21 weeks before it was nominated for a GRAMMY award in 1989. Kemp was scheduled to perform with Riley on this weekend’s “Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage 2015” before being found dead in Jamaica Thursday. EURweb was on hand to document Riley’s tribute to Kemp with the following report:

“He [Johnny Kemp] came all the way because this is what he wanted. He said to me, ‘lil’ brother, I’ma make it. I don’t really want to make it but I’m gonna make it, I’ma be there.’ His last text to me was, ‘See you in a minute, we are going to have a lot of fun.’ And he got here, he got to Jamaica. When he got to Jamaica he was stopped and it was only because of a few words that he said that revoked him from getting on this ship.”

Representatives from Joyner’s REACH Media Inc. were adamant that Kemp did not die on the cruise as had been previously speculated.

A video of the performance, including Riley’s speech, was posted on Tom Joyner’s Instagram account and can be viewed below. You can read the full report of Riley’s tribute to Kemp at EURweb.com.

 

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