Keith Smith better known in Birmingham as Chipher is a musician, author, and the CEO of the Legacy Centre of Excellence. He started his journey into the creative industries as a 6ft 14-year-old DJ. His hight and size gave him the opportunity to DJ in clubs from a very young age as he was never asked for ID. Whilst doing his DJ sets be began rapping other people’s lyrics. This soon gave him a passion to begin writing his own raps. After starting college, he brought together a collective of rappers who then started to create music together. Keith then went on to form his own rap group and was one of the first UK rap groups to be featured on MTV.

From a need for this collective to have a creative space Keith took on a building in which, he built a studio to support artist and musicians develop their creative talent. This was successfully run for several years and supported many Birmingham Creatives.

After years of studying and running a creative space Keith wrote his first book called the Secret Money Management. This book has gone on to be sold worldwide and supported many people from the Black and African Caribbean community across the country in. the area of managing finances.

After the closing of the Drum in Aston Keith felt a void from the community’s loss of the building. He then went on a mission and raised the funds to purchase the building which, is now the Legacy Centre of Excellence. Keith now runs the space as an arts and culture centre which, is use by the community and has become a central point for the community to host events and exhibitions.