Kimpedro is a product of the culturally diverse Spring Garden section of North Philadelphia. An illustrator, author and drummer, Kimpedro received his formal education in fine arts, advertising design, illustration and graphics at not only the Thomas Eakins’ House and Fleischer Art Memorial but also The Philadelphia College of Art, Hussian School of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and The Society of Illustrators in New York. That was after Masterman and Overbrook’s Arts Magnet Program. He received his first award as an artist at the age of 7. He placed in the juried “Clothesline Exhibit” held annually in Rittenhouse Square and received a scholarship to the prestigious Museum School of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. As a young student Kimpedro served as an intern in Smith Kline & French’s design department under artist Charles Johnson and with graphic designer/illustrator Ruben A Benson (WDAS logos). This mentorship provided the skill sets for him to not only co edit and illustrate a community newsletter but also design a poster for a transitioning Philadelphia Opera Company and would be the first time he appeared in the Daily News for his creative gifts.

His musical education began in his neighborhood, where the soundtrack of his life was the Afro Caribbean and Indigenous rhythms that filled the air. Supervised lessons began at Julia Reynolds Masterman (1972). They would further develop at Overbrook, Lutheran Ministries Touring Performing Arts Program, St. John’s Music Settlement, private instruction, in his living room and on the bandstand.

Kimpedro would go onto play in several musical situations, including the CCP Big Band under the direction of Dr. George Allen and the late Wayne Smith Sr., until co-founding the successful JazGuardian Musician’s Organization in 1993 with Dm Hotep (Sun Ra Guitarist). He was mentored by a Who’s Who of Philadelphia musical royalty including Robert Kenyatta and Byard Lancaster among others. Kimpedro organized an ensemble complete with strings, that would serve as house band for The Eagles’ Celebrity Auction and Golf Tournaments for @7 years. During this time he with JazGuardian, accommodated a variety of clients including The Barristers Association, UNCF, Madam CJ Walker Foundation, Womens’ Black National Congress, Dawn Staley Foundation, Community Marketing Concepts, Un Litter Us, Welcome Americas, WPVI Channel 6, the late Lana Felton Ghee, Ron White, former mayors, etc…

In 2012, Kimpedro founded The NU GRuV Network. It is an artists’ collective, where a network of approximately 25 artists collaborate, build ensembles, consult, direct, produce and trouble shoot a wide variety of creative challenges that our clients encounter and resolve them with innovative solutions. Since their inception, NU GRuV has quickly become a reliable source in Philadelphia’s diverse cultural & creative community.

Kimpedro has produced and co-produced more than a dozen successful events and shows since NU GRuVs’ inception. Those shows include “Transitions: Change Gonna’ Come” featuring former Kimmel Jazz Residents Kendrah Butler Waters and Shamika Byrd with Aisha Brooks-Lytle and “The Intersection of Jazz and Hip Hop”, both at Venice Island. “The Living Room Sessions” and “Spirits In The Dark” at The Community Education Center. He art/music directed four of eight “Satellites Are Spinning: A Sizzling Sonic Celebration of Sun Ra” concerts under the supervision of Homer Jackson and The Philadelphia Jazz Project at The Barnes, Ardmore Music Hall, Johnny Brenda’s and World Café Live. All of these shows either sold out or were SRO….and created the ‘HoodStock InnerCity Arts & Music Festival in Spring Garden (2003-2015). In the summer of 2018 he was a production assistant for a concert series “Courtyard Fridays” held on Staten Island in conjunction with New York Council on the Arts, that engaged folk as they boarded and unloaded from the Ferry directly across the street. He was a featured artist/supporting artist in the “Mysterious Traveler” Concert Series with The Central Branch of the Free Library and PJP. He also provided musicians from NGN to accommodate other featured artists in the series. He recently produced a jazz/R&B tribute to Anita Baker, Chaka Khan and Sade, showcasing a 9 piece interchangeable ensemble from his NU GRuV Network and co-produced a Martin Luther King tribute with CSN Productions, “A Visit From The King”, a multi disciplinary presentation. He participated as a studio session musician in the “Remedy Project” that was a musical collaboration between local jazz musicians healthcare workers and medical professionals working together to create and interpret classic, as well as new and original music ( PBS aired a session on “Movers & Shakers”) and The Whitman at 200: Art and Democracy Project which was a year- long series of cultural events and artistic commissions generated by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Ten mixed tapes and two videos were produced during this project. Kimpedro was part of the ensemble that presented “We Shall: A Lyrical MLK Celebration” at The Museum of the American Revolution in 2019 and 2020 as well as Sounds of the Revolution – Revisiting Fife & Drum.

Kimpedro has recently served as a pit musician for two stage plays, “Beauty Monster” by Elise Moreau and “Walk In My Shoes” by Teya Sepunick. He is currently working with choreographer, breaker, lyricist, adjunct professor Raphael Xavier developing a new stage presentation that was scheduled to continue touring Spring 2020, “Sassafrazz: Roots to Mastery”, but has been reinvented during the pandemic and is now “The Musician and The Mover” that began its new trek June 2021 with a developmental residency at “The Yard” on Martha’s Vineyard.

Kimpedro has held musical residencies at Dean Koukulos’ Frangelica Restaurant, Delilah Winders’ Bluesette’s Restaurant, The Blue Moon Jazz Club in the Bourse, Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, Triumph Brewery & Restaurant. He co-produced a seasonal Memorial Porch Jazz series in conjunction with an active Mantua community. He has been a member of the Spotlight On Jazz & Poetry Radio’s House Band since 2014, in 2019 he made his debut as “ artistically musical ” director and is returning to the helm September 2021 and April 2022.

Kimpedro is currently a Creative Arts Recreation Specialist for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. He introduces school age children to the creative arts and develops them to performance on a major Philadelphia stage in eight weeks. He then rotates to another site and repeats the process over again. He also participates as an instructor in a couple Performing Arts camps. He has served as an arts and crafts instructor and lead youth groups ( Smith Kline Potentials and Department of the Interior Youth Conservation Corps) since the 70’s.

He is completing his first solo book project “GOD is The Ultimate Time Keeper: This Drummer’s Story” with his illustrations and an accompanying musical compositions to be released 2022 . “The 6th Hour” from the aforementioned book has been separated from the whole as a pilot project with a screenplay in progress. The soundtrack for this “mini’ project is being composed by Kimpedro, Marcell Bellinger and being brought to life by several other members of KNGN. Kimpedro also serves as a creative consultant on a variety of topics and issues. When he’s not drumming or teaching, he operates his PaperBag Graphix creative arts service that provides custom greeting cards, flyers, CD/Album art, in home murals, major illustrations and more. One of his illustrations was recently published in “Philadelphia Jazz Stories” – Volume 1, produced by The Philadelphia Jazz Project and art directed by Marvel Illustrator Eric Battle. A children’s book, “Battery Man”, written by Victoria Huggins Peurifoy was also illustrated by Kimpedro in 2014. Two other original children’s books have been laid out. He also designs his own CD covers.

Kimpedro has performed in many notable venues/events including The Kimmel Center, Ardmore Music Hall, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, The International House, The Philadelphia Convention Center, The Mann Center for Performing Arts, The Painted Bride, The Museum of The American Revolution, The Discovery Center, African American Museum, Philadelphia International Airport, Zanzibar Blue, Hard Rock Cafe, Welcome America Festival, Media Jazz Festival, West Oak Lane Jazz Festival, Lancaster Avenue Jazz Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, PAFA, Lewis Arts Complex (Princeton) , Hightstown Harvest Festival, New York Live Arts, ICA (Connecticut), Martha’s Vineyard, St. Joseph’s (Boston), Palmas Del Mar (P.R.)… and as a leader and/or sideman with Kendrah Butler Waters, Odean Pope, Adam Faulk, Tyrone Brown, Monnette Sudler, Sumi Tanooka, Gloria Galante, Bobby Zankel, Dr. Jay Fluellen, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Monika Herzig, Raimundo Santos, Sharif Abdullah, Marcell Bellinger, Mike Boone, the late Byard Lancaster, Bernard Samuel and Barry Shuck and hosts of others.

“When you acknowledge GOD for being the Source of All Creativity, The Sky is Not the Limit!”