Born on January 6, 1969 in Treichville, Abidjan, Konan Guillaume grew up in the Ivorian capital and seemed destined for a prestigious career. After studying literature and a destiny that seemed to be heading towards diplomacy, Kajeem (his stage name) switched to music. Around the age of 25, the young Ivorian wrote his first lyrics, then quickly joined the Mouvement Universitaire du Rap (MUR). The collective enabled him to take his first steps on stage, and Kajeem stood out as he added the sounds of reggae and soul to his rap. His literary background gave him a definite aptitude for writing, and in 1997 he released his first album, N'Gowa, in which he recounts his life as a young Ivorian in the 1990s ("L'Amour Est Mort", "Sauvons L'avenir", "Enfants De La Rue"). Kajeem made a name for himself with his reggae rhythms and well-developed lyrics, winning MASA Revelation in 1997 and Best Ragga Artist in 1998. These successful beginnings led him to make his mark on the Ivorian music scene, helping to produce a number of albums, including Revelation Time (1999), La Voix Du Ciel (2000) and Positif (2004). As Kajeem's style became more accessible to a wider audience, in French, English, Spanish and Baoulé, he became involved in a number of charities, and wrote his first book in 2012(Le Petit Garçon Qui Peinait À Parler). While he defines his music as "reggae for the third millennium", the Ivorian singer's main aim is to highlight the problems facing his country and the African continent, and to bring about change through his music. This commitment resonates in tracks such as "La Voix Du Ciel " and "Au Pays Des Merveilles", and builds as his career grows. In 2023, while Kajeem was unveiling his eighth album Raggafrika, the track "Tu Tournes Film" aroused some of the public: the lyrics were deemed to allude to President Alassane Ouattara, and led to death threats.
