About

Kenneth Whalum

Singer, songwriter, saxophonist, producer.

Kenneth Whalum in a white shirt and black bow tie outside the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center

Kenneth Whalum is a singer, songwriter, saxophonist and producer. He calls his music alternative soul. He wrote and co-produced the albums Broken Land (2017) and Broken Land 2 (2021), singing and playing saxophone on the second, and released the EP Beautiful Ending (2020) and the singles “Away” with Big K.R.I.T., “One More Kiss” and “Hold My Hand.” On Moving Moments, Vol. 1 (2024), made with Tim Timberlake and Greg Cox, he wrote, arranged, sang and played tenor saxophone.

He grew up in a family of musicians and ministers and started on drums in his father’s church, until a band teacher steered him to the saxophone. He is the nephew of saxophonist Kirk Whalum and studied at The New School in New York.

He is a credited songwriter on Mac Miller’s “Ladders,” Big K.R.I.T.’s “The Light,” Robert Glasper and Derrick Hodge’s “Mine In Time” and Rod Wave’s “Keep Dancing,” which he also co-produced. His saxophone is on Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night, including the Grammy-winning “Pretty Wings,” on Beyoncé’s B’Day and RENAISSANCE, and on JAY-Z’s 4:44 and American Gangster, where he arranged the horns on “Roc Boys.”

He has toured with Maxwell, JAY-Z, Frank Ocean and D’Angelo, and is musical director for Ludacris. In 2026 he played with JAY-Z at Yankee Stadium and in London and Paris, and in 2025 he appeared on Saturday Night Live with Sabrina Carpenter.

Kenneth Whalum in a white T-shirt with a tenor saxophone on a strap, in front of a black stage curtain

On the record

Selected credits

  1. 2023 Adam Blackstone “The Storm Will Pass” from Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn (Grammy-nominated project) Contributions: SaxophoneBilling: Featured Artist
  2. 2022 Beyoncé “PURE/HONEY” from RENAISSANCE (Grammy-winning project) Contributions: Saxophone
  3. 2018 Mac Miller “Ladders” and “Conversation, Pt. 1” from Swimming (Grammy-nominated project) Contributions: Songwriter, Saxophone
  4. 2017 JAY-Z “Bam” from 4:44 (Grammy-nominated project) Contributions: Saxophone
  5. 2009 Maxwell BLACKsummers’night (Grammy-winning project) Contributions: Saxophone
  6. 2007 JAY-Z “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…” from American Gangster (Grammy-nominated project) Contributions: Arranger, Saxophone
  7. 2006 Fantasia “Two Weeks Notice” from Fantasia (Grammy-nominated project) Contributions: Saxophone
  8. 2006 Beyoncé “Back Up” from B’Day (Grammy-winning project) Contributions: Saxophone

Key

Grammy-winning project
Grammy-nominated project

Markers refer to the recording, not a personal award.

All credits