As hip hop became a trend in pop music around the world, the number of producers increased alongside the number of rappers. The popularity of Southern hip hop in particular, and especially trap music, exploded in the 2010s. It was from this point that hip hop even started to have a profound impact on pop and R&B production. Hip hop began its monopoly on the music charts. Trap music—as well as its offshoot, drill music—immediately took hold of a new generation, and a large number of producers sprang up from its nourishment. It was a kind of baby (hip hop producer) boom.

Interestingly, many of these producers have actively borrowed elements of electronic music. They shaped a beat from finely spliced 808 drums and wrapped it in the characteristically withdrawn mood and chilly texture of electronic music. This was a groundbreaking move. Naturally, artists like Kayne West and Kid Cudi had toyed with experimental hip hop through a fusion with electronic music in the past, but this marked the start of a bona fide trend. But trends quickly lead to norms and boredom; there were many cases where the hit songs sounded so similar that you could’ve mistaken them for coming from the same producer under multiple names. The ones left standing were those who stood out from the start thanks to their natural talent or who made a constant effort not to become “just another producer.” It’s hard to say which of these applies to Kenny Beats, but this much is certain: The Connecticut-born producer survived the deluge of next-generation producers to become one of the hottest must-know artists in hip hop today.

After picking up the guitar at age nine and later the drums, Kenny Beats got into music in earnest when he entered an electronic music competition. Beats got his start in electronic music—specifically EDM, which is a bit further from hip hop. But the first release he made as a producer was in fact a hip hop record. He spent time as an intern at labels like Cinematic Music Group, RCA Records and J Records from age 17 until he turned 20, during which time he had the opportunity to write songs for rapper Smoke DZA. He continued to work with Smoke DZA on several more songs, and wrote a song for ScHoolboy Q in 2012.

But he went back to the world of EDM; one important reason for that was money. It wasn’t until four years later, in 2017, that he would return again to hip hop. In a 2018 interview with hip hop media company DJBooth, Beats revealed that at some point it occurred to him that he wanted to make music without having to worry about money or being influential. From that point on, his career really began to take off. He was overflowing with unique hip hop beats instilled with his wealth of experience as an electronic music producer, using samplers, synthesizers and music editing software. He weaves rhythms together from a combination of carefully spliced hi-hats, powerful kick drums and snares, and reverb-soaked 808 bass that altogether produce chill vibes to evoke a distinct mood. British rapper Headie One’s track “Zodiac,” released in February, is a good example. Few producers are capable of bringing out such indescribable moods in trap music.

Beats has been working with big-name rappers ever since he established himself as a hip hop producer. Artists like Freddie Gibbs, Vince Staples, Rico Nasty, Denzel Curry and many more have all sought him out. Perhaps that’s because of the new direction for trap music that Beats is forging with his production.

TRIVIA

Loudpvck
The EDM duo Kenny Beats formed and operated from 2012 to 2017. Ryan Marks, a friend of his from Berklee College of Music, made up the other half of the duo. They released an EP in 2015 in addition to a number of singles. In 2017, Marks left the group, and with Beats moving on to hip hop production, they officially disbanded (with a final single released in 2018).