Student Matinee – Devine Carama

DEVINE CARAMA is a nationally renowned, 2022 Emmy Award- winning hip-hop artist, educator, community activist, & motivational speaker from Lexington, KY.

In December 2018, Devine performed outside in the cold for 48 hours straight to raise awareness for his annual youth coat drive, “A Coat to Keep The Cold Away’. Over the last 8 years, Believing in Forever has facilitated the collection and delivery of over 15,000 coats to children in Central and Eastern Kentucky. Other Believing in Forever initiatives include: Sons Of Single Mothers Mentoring Days, Senior Summer Jam, Community On The Corners, Poetry In Motion Youth, among many others.

In 2020, he started “The Luna Library” in memory of his late daughter, Kamaria Spaulding, which provides FREE black history/character focused books for children within the Lexington area. To date, the Luna Library has given away nearly 1,500 books to local children of all ages, and is a featured collection at the Lexington Public Library’s Northside Branch. Devine is also featured at the University of Kentucky, where he teaches a course called “Lyricism & Leadership: Hip-Hop & Community Change”.

Musically, Devine has worked with and/or opened up for acts such as Rakim, Big KRIT, J. Cole, Talib Kweli, Nappy Roots, LL Cool J, Black Eyed Peas, Canibus, De La Soul, Little Brother, & many more. His music has been covered in major music publications like The Source, Vibe, & Complex Magazine. Most recently, Devine was the first 2-time winner of NBA All-Star, Dame Lillard’s “Live Cypher” Rap Contest. Through his most recent professional endeavor, ‘Kingtucky LLC’ he hosts local artistic events such as Brown Sugar, Neo Soul Nights & Poetry in Motion. Recent awards and recognitions include the Lauren K. Weinberg Humanitarian Award (2017), the Coretta Scott “Spirit of ivy” Award for community service (2017), the Black Achievers “Special Achiever of the Year Award (2018), George W.H. Bush’s “Point Of Light” Volunteer Award (2018), LEXI Music “Community Service” Award (2020) and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020), Song of the Year (2021) as well as the Lexington Forum’s “One To Watch” Award (2022).

Devine Carama was awarded an Emmy for best “News Promotion” from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his collaboration on a project entitled “Positively LEX 18” He is the first and only hip hop artist from Kentucky to ever win this prestigious award.