[youtube id=”mdnmCBGj7qo”] Producer/singer/songwriter Kashif has passed at the age of 59. Kashif was popular in the ’80’s because his solo work that included the hits “Stone Love,” “Help Yourself To My Love” and “I Just Got To Have You, Lover Turn Me On.” He started his career when he was a teenager working as a keyboard player for the Brooklyn funk band B.T.Express. He later became an an R&B innovator because of his early embrace of synthesizers.  His use of the New England Digital Synclavier gave Evelyn Champagne King a new sound when he wrote and produced “I’m In Love,” “Love Come Down” and “Betcha She Don’t Love You” for her.  Howard Johnson benefitted from the Kashif touch on his signature song “So Fine.” Kashif produced Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love” and worked with a host of people including Johnny Kemp, George Benson, Meli’sa Morgan, Dionne Warwick and Melba Moore among others. Over the past 20 years, he focused on education by creating the Kashif University on the campus of Morningside High School in Inglewood, California for at-risk youth. He self-published Everything You’d Better Know About The Music Industry and produced commercials for a variety of companies including UPS, St. Joseph Health System and more. His tough upbringing in eight foster homes inspired him to create the Team iCare Foundation and Mentorship Dinner Cruise for children living in foster care. According to Eurweb, Kashif was found by a neighbor yesterday after passing on Sunday.
