Om'Mas Keith was born on December 20, 1976, in Queens, New York. Keith was exposed to music from an early age, as his parents were both avant-garde jazz musicians, working alongside Sun Ra, and his grandfather had a musical career working with Duke Ellington.[4][5] His name is derived from Om, the sacred sound of the universe according to Indian religions.[6]
While building his early career as a producer, Keith also worked in advertising, and as a studio manager and designer while trying to support his daughter, who was born in 1997 [8]
In early 2000, Om'Mas Keith moved from New York to Los Angeles, working full-time as a musician and producer. He partnered with Shafiq Husayn and Taz Arnold to form alternative hip-hop group Sa-Ra.[9] The group produced for other artists, such as Jurassic 5, Pharoahe Monch, and Erykah Badu, and released their own music. Their first album, The Hollywood Recordings, was released in 2007 under Babygrande Records.[10] The album had been anticipated to be released under Kanye West'sGOOD Music, who the trio signed with in 2005, but the label was dissolved beforehand. The album bestowed features from Talib Kweli, Bilal, and Ty Dolla $ign, as well as many others. Keith brought attention to Sa-Ra while appearing on Diddy's show Making His Band, which aired on MTV.[11]
In August 2016, Frank Ocean released Endless and Blonde, crediting Keith as a contributor on both. Blonde's single Nikes was produced by Keith,[15] and he received writing credits on eleven other tracks on the album.[16]
Philanthropy
Since his Grammy win in 2013, Keith has heavily been involved with MusiCares, a foundation that aims to assist musicians and their families in times of financial crisis or medical emergency.[17] Alongside Pharrell Williams, he has worked with outreach programs dedicated to educating young musicians.[18] He currently serves as a member of the Recording Academy'sLos Angeles Chapter Board.[19]
Discography
The following is a partial discography of production.