While the internet can open the door to no shortage of problems, it can also bring people together in unexpected fashions. For 11-year-old aspiring rapper Ray3 (formerly known as "HotBoyFire"), who won hearts by making an endearing and sincere declaration of his hip-hop dreams, his goal has come that much closer to reality after catching the attention of Kenny Beats. And let it be known -- though he may appear mild-mannered when the beat comes on he makes the quick transition into savage mode.
It started after Kenny caught a meme of Ray in action, setting up a suspended iPhone microphone on his bunkbed. "We gotta find him and get him some equipment !!!" declared Kenny, sparking a search party to form. Before long, Guapdad 4000 and Rob $tone had expressed interest in pitching in, as did Elite, Anthony Fantano, Oshi, and many more. After Kenny managed to secure Ray's YouTube page, he made the connection and ensured those following the storyline that the equipment was indeed being sent.
Kenny even hopped on Ray's IG Live to meet the kid face-to-face, and after a wholesome exchange the producer requested that his mother get in touch to finalize the shipping details. All things considered, it's nice to have a feel-good story to dive into, especially one that may very well up usher a young creative into a position to thrive. Much respect to Kenny Beats and all of those who helped come together for the youngster -- perhaps there's hope for us yet.
Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats’ "Unlocked" Getting Comic Book Treatment
Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats are gearing up to bring “Unlocked” to the wonderful world of comic books.
Sometimes a creative vision can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways. Kendrick Lamar‘s DAMN, for example, took on a second life with a reversed tracklist; Run The Jewels went full crazy-cat-lady with the batshit insane Meow The Jewels. Now, the dynamic duo that is Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats have decided to offer up a different take on their popular Unlocked projected, which arrived back in February complete with an extensive companion film.
Jason Mendez/Getty Images
Today, Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats have revealed their plans to expand on their recently established world, announcing an official Unlocked 48-page comic book and instrumental album by way of their “dark” counterparts. With Psycho Films handling the plot and illustrations from Sam Hochman, Joey Prosser, Forrest Whaley, Justin Johnson, Chaz Bottoms, Malik Bolton, Rachel Headlam, Borboev Shakhnazer, and Asekov Tilek, it’s likely that Unlocked will continue to take on a life of its own. Should you be interested, check out the trailer below, and be sure to place your orders right here.
If that wasn’t enough, the pair will also be delivering an instrumental version of the album, as Kenny Beats believes that the beats can stand comfortably on their own. “UNLOCKED is so much more than a few songs, it’s a feeling we all have,” Kenny told Complex. “For the first time I’m releasing my instrumentals because I truly believe these beats can live on their own. Put them on while you read the comic and stay tuned for part 2!” Look for that to land on May 1st.
12 Essential Kenny Beats Productions
A starter kit to get you familiar with the production of Kenny Beats.
Over the past two years, it’s been almost impossible to shuffle a hip hop playlist and not hear at least once a ‘Whoah Kenny!’ tag. Prolific producer Kenny Beats has been everywhere. And with the second season of his successful YouTube show “The Cave” fully underway, it’s a perfect time to look back at 12 of his standout productions so far.
1. Rico Nasty – Smack a Bitch
Paul Morigi/Getty Images
This is the song that started it all for the dynamic duo of Rico and Kenny. By late 2017, Kenny was just emerging from his EDM days with the duo Loudpvck and trying to make a name for himself again in the hip hop world. As he explained on Zack Fox’s radio show “BRUH”, Kenny had been messaging Rico for months before she finally responded. When they eventually booked a session together, Kenny came fully prepared with an arsenal of bubblegummy “sugar-trap” beats, along the lines of tracks like “Poppin’” and “Key Lime OG” that Rico was making at the time. Rico heard them, nodded her head, and said, “That’s cool, now make me a heavy metal beat.” The result is a rage-filled anthem that’s racked up over 26 million views on YouTube.
Standout lyrics: “You rap about an Audi too much / Because my Audi paid off, b*tch hush!”
2. KEY! – Demolition 1 + 2
The man behind the signature “Whoah Kenny!” tag is the criminally underrated Atlanta rapper-singer KEY. Known for his features on classics like “Look at Wrist” with Father and iLoveMakkonen, and A$AP Mob‘s Cozy Tapes Vol. 1 and 2, KEY! had accomplished just about everything by 2018 – except for break into the mainstream. Enter 777, a triumphant debut album executive produced by Kenny Beats. Opening with an uplifting gospel choir sample, “Demolition 1 + 2” kicks off 777 as the perfect victory lap for a legendary artist who’s just getting started. Check out the live version with a drummer and guitarist on YouTube if you want to bring real tears to your eyes.
Standout lyrics: “Run inside your shit, I need an ESPY / No Scantron, don’t test me!”
3. Zack Fox – Jesus is the One
When Kenny started his YouTube series “The Cave,” he set out to make a sleek, professional series of live performance videos. Leave it to Zack Fox to rap about dipping his balls in thousand island dressing for five minutes and turn it into Kenny’s most-streamed song.The look of genuine horror on Kenny’s face as he watches Zack single-handedly ruin his artistic vision makes the song that much more perfect. And the best part: the track is actually catchy as f*ck.
Standout lyrics: “I’ma dip my balls in some thousand island dressing / ‘cuz I got depression”
4. JPEGMAFIA – Puff Daddy
When the left-field experimentalist JPEGMAFIA linked up with Kenny Beats for the first time, it’s not surprising that the first thing JPEG asked for was the weirdest sound on Kenny’s laptop. After sifting through a couple of samples that were actually good, Kenny pulled up a disjointed melody that sounded like it was coming from a water-logged Nintendo 64. Kenny called it “embarrassing,” but JPEG said, “It’s perfect, throw an 808 on that b*tch.” And just like that, Puff Daddy was born.
Standout lyrics: “B*tch, we strapped like Duke Nukem / Pull up with the trey and we ain’t hooping”
5. Vince Staples – FUN!
Kenny can craft a booming 808 and slick hi-hat pattern in his sleep, but what really makes him stand out as a producer is his willingness and ability to adapt to whatever the artist he’s working with has in mind. As he explained in an interview with Pitchfork, Kenny didn’t walk into his session with Vince with an agenda – “It was more Vince dictating the tempo and feel, and me reacting to that.” The result was a perfect summer album of west coast bangers.
Standout lyrics: “Christian Dior, I’m Crippin’ Bior”
6. Ski Mask the Slump God – Foot Fungus
As much as he’s known as a leader of the trap new wave, Ski Mask is heavily influenced by old school legends like Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and Pharrell. With “Foot Fungus,” Ski and Kenny were able to combine an old school 90 bpm bounce with new school 808’s for a 2019 reimagining of classics like “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” In true Timbo/Pharrell fashion, the beat is weird – sampling radio feedback, white noise and a censor beep – but also leaves plenty of room for Ski to do his thing. “Ski heard it and reacted to it because he could hear himself on it,” Kenny explained in a Genius Deconstructed video.
Standout lyrics: “Spoonin’ yo b*tch like I just pulled out a yogurt”
7. Denzel Curry – Cosmic
From aggressive scream-trap to Miami bass to melodic emo and even heavy metal, Denzel Curry can do it all. For his latest project, UNLOCKED, Denzel proved he can master yet another genre: classic boom bap – straight out the book of legends like Madlib and the Wu Tang Clan. Produced entirely by Kenny Beats, the EP was made in a 72-hour burst of creativity and released with no warning other than a fake Twitter beef. The project was accompanied by a 20-minute animated music video ready for Adult Swim, referencing classics like Naruto, Animatrix and Samurai Champloo. Complete with scream-flows inspired by DMX and wild singing flows in the style of ODB, Denzel Curry proves with this project that he can take on any style he wants.
Standout lyrics: “He shoot in VR, we got guns in reality / You act so hard, you should thank the Academy”
8. Smino – Trina
Who else besides Smino could effortlessly rhyme ‘parakeet’ with ‘karate?’ Known for his soulful singing, St. Louis artist Smino threw a curve ball when he recruited Kenny Beats for a bouncey twerk banger. As explained in his Genius verified video, Smino chose Kenny to work with for his engineering skills as well as production. “A lot of producers just give you a beat and leave. Kenny’s like, ‘Nah, I’m gonna sit down, we’re gonna put this effect right here, put this sound clip in.’” Kenny’s attention to vocal processing – getting just the right amount of reverb, delay, distortion, panning and overdubs to make the artist’s voice stand out – is a crucial component of his overall production.
Standout lyrics: “Stay off my grass like Stanley / Threw me cheeks on the beach, she Sandy”
9. 03 Greedo – Disco Shit (ft. Freddie Gibbs)
Known for his yearning, soulful singing over snapping west coast beats by producers like Mustard, L.A. rapper 03 Greedo wanted to try something new when he linked up with Kenny Beats for the movie-themed collaborative album Netflix & Deal. In the behind-the-scenes documentary for the album, 03 explains the sound he wants to Kenny: “I don’t want some west coast sh*t, I don’t want some trap sh*t, I want something that sounds… disco.” The result is a sleet, vintage-sounding guitar track that captures the feel of crime movies like Blow (2001) that inspired the album. Freddie Gibbs busting out his singing voice for a feature is icing on the cake. Free 03 Greedo.
Standout lyrics: “Pull up like Tony Montana, reload it, I pull out the stick on these cockroaches”
10. Gucci Mane – Proud of You
Is there a more inspirational glow-up story than Gucci Mane’s? After changing his diet, exercising and quitting lean, Gucci lost 100 pounds and looks like a new man. His 2019 track “Proud Of You” is dedicated to himself – a celebration of where Guwop is now. Kenny lends slick production to the track, with a warped trumpet-like sample, unique clicking hi-hats and an unpredictable kick pattern that skips the 1 beat before hitting you in front of the snare.
Standout lyrics: “I had the county blues now every day I’m counting blues / No lean and Mountain Dew’s, Guwop I’m so proud of you.”
11. Dominic Fike – Phone Numbers
By mid-2019 Kenny had made a name for himself as the go-to producer for crafting hard-hitting trap bangers. But summery pop songs with acoustic guitars and handclaps? This was uncharted territory. The experiment paid off though, thanks to the magnetic personality and versatility of Brockhampton prodigy Dominic Fike. Kenny said he wasn’t even going to put the “Whoah Kenny” tag in this song because it sounds so different from everything else he’s done, but Dom insisted it was a necessity.
Standout lyrics: “Keep my name out your mouth like some wisdom teeth”
12. Schoolboy Q – Party
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images
Before Kenny took a detour from hip hop to make money as a DJ in the EDM world, he was cooking beats for the TDE crew, including Smoke DZA, Ab Soul and Schoolboy Q. He even almost got a placement with Kendrick, but the track ended up going to DZA instead. The wobbly dubstep bass of “Party” sounds a little dated 8 years later, but the track is still fun as hell, and a fun look at the early days of Kenny’s production.
Standout lyrics: “Can’t fade me, I ain’t Boosie Boo / Black Hippy, HiiiPower, the amazing group”
Denzel Curry And Kenny Beats Embrace The Joys Of Collaboration On "UNLOCKED": Review
ALBUM REVIEW: From out of nowhere, Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats have delivered “UNLOCKED,” one of the most welcome surprises of 2020 thus far.
Never underestimate the power of the odd couple. Whether used in the name of sitcom hijinks, to bridge the gap between genres, or to patch over emerging generational rifts, no shortage of magic can manifest when previously unaligned powers find themselves on a collision course. Sharing little more than a penchant for turning modern-day hip-hop on its axis, the magnetic chemistry that radiated from Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats during the former’s visit to The Cave has been harnessed and extrapolated in phenomenal ways on UNLOCKED. Much like he has with an assortment of artists including Key! Rico Nasty and Vince Staples, Kenny has tapped into Denzel’s distinct brand of South Florida hip-hop and merged their sounds accordingly. Arriving through a deceptive fog of fake beef and strategic posts, the finished product is a team-up of seismic proportions that recalls a new-age Preemo & Royce, Gibbs & Madlib or, with its appropriation of samples from all obscure corners of instrumentation and infomercials, Madvillainy itself.
Launched in conjunction with a short film that displayed the pair’s untapped comedic range, the duo satirized the issue of leaks and the all-too-real plight of making “$4 from 2 million streams” before being plunged into a world of cyber-psychedelia. Vivid, disorienting and prone to lightning-quick transitions, this stop-motion, anime, and Adult Swim-indebted visual is the perfect accompaniment for a project practically hemorrhaging with creativity. Opening in disorienting fashion as a narrator rhymes off antiquated rhetoric about an unspecified mental condition and “a negative phase,” the arrival of “Take_it_Back_v2” quickly makes it known that the titular unlocking isn’t a reference to any technology, but rather the limitless ingenuity of their brains.
Setting off in the realm of menacing, retro-futuristic boom-bap, the track establishes some of the key traits that’ll recur throughout the EP’s duration. Flitting from feeling manic to meticulously constructed on a dime, Denzel dual-wields odes to Bubba Sparxx and Rosa Parks in a way that only he could, all while embracing enough vocal manipulation to become a one-man posse cut. Exemplified from the moment that he veers between a dirty-south inspired, Screwed Up Click bark to a piercing high-pitched holler, Denzel’s willingness to be guided by Kenny’s unconventional borders are proof that they’re relishing the act of bouncing off one another.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, FilmMagic/Getty Images
On Zel’s part, he’s rhyming in a way that feels instinctual and immediate. Just as he did during the construction of 2019’s ZUU, it seems that Curry is adhering to his new teammates’ personal mantra of “don’t overthink shit” and allowing the poeticisms to present themselves without any agony. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to his references, Denzel juggles nods to Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and GTA V in the space of three bars on “Lay_Up.m4a” before rebuffing the point A to point B nature of traditional music industry models: “Why I gotta go on tour to show that I’m goin’ through stages?” Presenting a thrilling checkpoint between the old and new, Denzel takes the aggression that’s been running through his veins since the days of 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms and uses it to elevate the abrasive “DIET_.” Sounding like the genetically mutated missing link between DMX and Zillakami, the gradually increasing tension between verse and chorus displays both parties’ range in stark clarity.
Meanwhile, Kenny’s prolific run over the past few years carries on without compromising on quality or scope. If anything, a common thread between much of UNLOCKED’s production would be the use of woozy textures and the inevitable return to lucidness by way of thudding percussion. What sets Kenny apart as such a compelling beatmaker is his nonchalance when it comes to disrupting the listener with a funk bassline here or a squalling industrial clatter there. A boundaryless approach that was likely adapted from his time within the hyperactive world of EDM as one half of Loudpvck, Kenny’s growing stature as one of hip-hop’s most entrusted producers has only emboldened him further. With only minimal assistance from Denzel, the fascinating sonic world of “Track07” makes a strong case for Kenny heeding the example of LA beat scene pioneers such as Flying Lotus, Ras G or Samiyam and producing a standalone body of work of his own.
Concluding with the blistering, bass-heavy assault of “Cosmic.M4A”, the narration’s final concession of “we did everything in the world to exterminate them but, ha, no apparent luck” is fitting when you consider how both Denzel and Kenny have balked at mainstream-mandated expectations or conduct wherever possible. Despite its 18-minute runtime, this project doesn’t feel disposable. Whether it’s Zeltron’s impeccable wordplay or the adventurousness of Kenny’s instrumentals, there’s plenty to be entranced by and unpack in greater detail. They aren’t reinventing the wheel and had no aspirations of doing so. Instead, UNLOCKED caps off another quietly prolific off-season for Denzel amid giving Kenny room to showcase his work ethic and near-maniacal creativity. Far more than a joyless display of virtuosity from two of the best in their fields, what makes UNLOCKED so compelling is the inescapable sense of fun that comes hardwired into it.
Nicki Minaj, Pop Smoke & Denzel Curry Heat Up Our "Fire Emoji" Playlist
“FIRE EMOJI” has you covered with the best releases of the week.
Last week, in the realm of hip hop releases, we were able to dedicate most of our focus to Lil Wayne‘s album, Funeral, as it was a week otherwise filled with new singles. This week, that is not the case. We got blessed with a bunch of great projects and we’re thrilled to add some of their hottest cuts to our Spotify playlist, “FIRE EMOJI”.
Pop Smoke is one of the most buzzing rappers in the game right now, so it was an ideal time for him to follow last July’s Meet The Woo EP with a full-length sequel. Meet The Woo 2 boasts thirteen tracks and a bunch of features. Pop Smoke enlisted fellow up-and-comers like Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay for earthquake-inducing bangers, but he also collaborates with heavy-hitter Quavo to “Shake The Room”. The beat was too crazy on that one to not include it in our playlist.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
While we knew Meet The Woo 2 was coming, Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats caught us by surprise on Friday with their collaborative project, UNLOCKED. The rapturous tracks came accompanied by an animated short film that you must see and may have raised the bar for creative rollouts in 2020. Kenny Beats, whose producer tag is ubiquitous these days, furnishes the Miami rapper with ferocious beats that match his uncontainable energy. “DIET_” is a perfect example that these two pair perfectly.
Last but not least, we have a single for you. Not just any single, but a Nicki Minaj single. The queen herself came out of semi-retirement this week to drop off “Yikes”, a song title that is fitting given the scandalous week she had, but we’re not gonna get into that now. This is about “Yikes”, a searing assertion that Onika cannot be played with. God bless The Barbz for bullying her into completing and releasing the track this week.
Follow our freshly-updated Wake & Bake playlist here.
Follow our G.O.O.D. Music playlist (for a GOOD ASS FRIDAY) here.
Boogie Spits True To Self Bars On Kenny Beats’ "The Cave"
Boogie and Kenny Beats need to cook up more in 2020.
While much has been made about a given rapper’s ability to freestyle, the same praise should be given to a producer. Time and time again, Kenny Beats has conjured bangers that those on rival major studio albums, seemingly out of thin air. While we anticipate and pray that The Cave will come through with a mixtape, Kenny has kept the ball rolling with another new episode, this time calling on Shady Records signee and Compton resident Boogie.
From the moment he opens his mouth, it’s clear that Boogie is in good spirits, perhaps in more ways than one. His jol energy shines throughout the pregame conversation, culminating in an honest attempt to pull off Lil Uzi Vert‘s “Futsal Shuffle” dance. After a quick hi-pass filter and some arrangement tweaking, Kenny Beats presents Boogie with a vibey instrumental, one that seems well-suited to his unique delivery.
“We gon’ act like we got females singing,” begins Boogie, pulling out some racks and making it rain. “I got premonitions of injuries getting carted out,” he raps, his flow wandering at a methodical pace. “A sculpture’s made from all the lanes that I’ve been carving out, I look up in the mirror and say tell me what that guard about, where you get that armor you ain’t have that when you started out.”
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