Not wanting to be bound to one genre, Chilifa Nem of the Gard3n trio describes his sound as “HipHopera” with a ‘southern twist’. The Texas-born Portland artist’s versatility becomes glaringly apparent as you listen to his tracks and is alluded to in his name. “Nem” stands for the many different personalities and emotions that come out during his recording sessions. “Which voice is his?” you may ask. All of them. Chilifa Nem wears many hats. Singer. Songwriter. Vocal Engineer. Producer. With an ear for sounds and an ability to match them with notes, it gives him such fluidity in his sounds and in his vibe. “I just love music and sounds and the emotions they evoke in you. If you see me without headphones in it’s probably because I just lost them again,” he said. “I want to be able to feel a mood and be able to transfer that to a track that I know people can understand regardless of what they usually like. Some people may not like my stuff, but I know there’s gonna be one track they’ll relate to.”

So We Move - Chilifa Nem

Coffee, Weed, and Lies - Chilifa Nem

City Boyz - Chilifa Nem

Thank You Portland - Chilifa Nem & Forest Pond