Kamaal Williams

Williams has since released three solo albums under his record label Black Focus, including The Return (2018), Wu Hen (2020), and Stings (2023).

[5] Because of his mixed race, Williams struggled to connect with British culture, but was able to resonate with West African and Jamaican communities in Peckham.

[5][8] Around this time, Williams began gigging regularly around London and, aged 17, started a band with Katy B alongside drummer Joshua McKenzie.

[14] Thom Jurek of AllMusic described the album as having "spiritual jazz funk, broken beat, and global sounds".

[13] Kalia Ammar of Clash wrote that the album has "a consistent soundscape of gently streaking strings morphing into the buzz of Williams' synths, all whilst Dayes' frenetic afro-jazz and junglist drum beats rumble beneath",[15] and has also said that the duo "captured the unpredictable and at times fragmented intensity of [jazz being played live]".

[15] In March 2017, shortly before the band's scheduled performance at the SXSW music festival, Yussef Kamaal were refused entry to the United States after Dayes' visa was revoked in accordance with an executive immigration order implemented by the Trump administration.

[20] In 2018, Williams released his debut solo album The Return under his newly established Black Focus Records label, charting in the UK at number 63.

According to Michael J West of Bandcamp Daily, Williams continued the style that Black Focus left off, where "it focuses on pure groove, augmented with loop-like repeated motifs but achieves them with live drums, funk-driven bass, and smooth, twinkling Fender Rhodes lines".

[27][28] Despite influences such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock, Williams has rejected the term 'jazz' being applied to his music, citing the "elitist" and traditionalist connotations it evokes.

[5][22][9] Piotor Orlov of NPR said that "[Williams'] 'jazz' is grounded in post-Mwandishi Herbie Hancock, Bob James' "Nautilus" and J Dilla productions.

"[10] Williams has also listed Jamiroquai, Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, the 2001 album Execute by Oxide & Neutrino,[5] and his home city of London as influences on his music.

[1] When Williams performed with Dayes in Yussef Kamaal, Jochan Embley wrote in a 2017 gig review that they had a "preternatural ability to predict and effortlessly follow whichever direction the other is about to fly off into.

[7][10] In a 2018 interview, Williams said that religion has played a key role in his career, reminding him to remain humble and grateful in the face of success.

Williams has been accused of aggressive behaviour towards fellow musicians, in Twitter threads[38][39] posted by multiple music industry professionals.

"[42][43][44][45] After the publication of the accusations in Resident Advisor, at least 18 others came forward with allegations against Williams ranging from inappropriate behaviour to sexual assault.