Cubeatz (sometimes stylized as CuBeatz) are a German

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

production and songwriting duo from

Hildrizhausen Hildrizhausen is a municipality in the district of Böblingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Geography Hildrizhausen, with its 3,615 inhabitants, is located on a clearing of the Schönbuch and about 9 kilometres south of Böblingen. In Hildri ...

, consisting of twin brothers Kevin and Tim Gomringer. Originally embarking on their careers within

German hip hop German hip hop (locally known as ''Deutschrap'', ''Deutsch'' meaning German) refers to hip hop music in the German language. Elements of American hip hop culture, such as graffiti art and breakdancing, diffused into Western Europe in the ea ...

in 2008, they have since expanded and have been credited on releases for international hip hop artists such as

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott, among others. Cubeatz are sample producers, who create loops, melodies and kits for the purpose of being sampled by other producers to utilize in a final beat.

Early life

Kevin and Tim Gomringer were born as twin brothers on 15 March 1991 in Sindelfingen. They grew up in nearby

, what Kevin described as a "forest village", where, for them, it was "rainy" and "lonely", which led them to build their craft, or, as Kevin says, "fantasy in their minds". Their parents had a

radio receiver In radio communications, a radio receiver, also known as a receiver, a wireless, or simply a radio, is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the information carried by them to a usable form. It is used with an antenna. ...

and a CD player, with various "classic" records by

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

, U2,

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

, and more, which further helped them as inspiration to start making music. They started making beats with the DAW software

Cubase Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-do ...

, which led them to making their stage name "Cubeatz". In the late 2000s, they started putting their beats on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. Both brothers completed apprenticeships as merchants in wholesale and foreign trade and subsequently studied music at a private university in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Career

German hip hop

In 2008, they earned their first record with German rapper Vega. During this time, Cubeatz relied strongly on unlicensed samples, a practice they later said was only possible due to their produced songs staying relatively unnoticed at the time. They began producing for more rappers in Germany, such as Fard and PA Sports. Through Fard, they were connected with Haftbefehl, one of the bigger names in

at the time, producing the song "An alle Bloxx" on his 2012 album ''Kanackiş''. They garnered attention in the German

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...

scene and began producing beats for other German rappers such as Summer Cem, KC Rebell or

Farid Bang Farid Hamed El Abdellaoui (born 4 June 1986), better known as Farid Bang, is a German gangsta rapper and bodybuilder of Spanish- Moroccan descent. He’s from a part of Spain that’s on the North African coast, bordering Morocco. His pare ...

, eventually signing a publishing deal with

Sony Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing LLC (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is an American music publisher. Responsible for publishing the largest quantity of music, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021, it is part of Sony ...

in Germany. As their popularity grew, Cubeatz changed their production process to omit the use of samples and began playing all melodies by themselves. In a 2014 interview, they said they tried to position themselves more as "producers" instead of "beatmakers": "We used to finish the beats at home and then send out packages of five or six instrumentals. Today we take care of the complete production of an album."

International hip hop

In late 2014, a "friend" of them sent a composition of theirs to American record producer Vinylz, which, in mid-2015, evolved into the song " R.I.C.O." by rapper

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...

featuring Canadian rapper

, with additional production by American record producer

Allen Ritter Allen Raphael Ritter (born June 19, 1988) is an American record producer and songwriter. A frequent collaborator of fellow producers Boi-1da, Vinylz, and Sevn Thomas, Ritter has worked in production for high-profile hip hop and contemporary R&B, ...

. Cubeatz explained that the R.I.C.O. placement opened multiple doors for them, such as being connected with American record producer

Cardo A ''cardo'' (: ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Rome, ancient Roman cities and military castra, camps as an integral component of Urban planning, city planning. The ''cardo maximus'', or most often the ''cardo'', was the main ...

, with whom they ended up working on multiple songs. Since then, they were able to send their "original samples" off to other major record producers such as

Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...

Boi-1da Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da (a play on Boy Wonder) is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. He is an in-house producer for Drake's OVO Sound label and has prod ...

, Tay Keith, Murda Beatz, and much more, gaining momentum in US

hip hop production Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and " ...

and garnering a lot of high-profile collaborations with Drake, Travis Scott,

, 21 Savage, and

Don Toliver Caleb Zackery "Don" Toliver ( ; born June 12, 1994) is an American rapper and singer. He emerged to fame in 2018 with the release of his debut mixtape, ''Donny Womack'', and his feature on the song "Can't Say" by fellow Houston rapper Travis Sco ...

, among others. Since 2014, their work mostly consists of composing their own melodies that they send off to be sampled by other producers. In 2016, Cubeatz co-produced charting hits such as "

Summer Sixteen "Summer Sixteen" is a single (music), single by Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake, released to promote his fourth studio album ''Views (album), Views'', although it was not included on that album. The song premiered on OVO Sound Radio and wa ...

" by

, "

That Part "That Part" (stylized as "THat Part") is a hip hop song by American Hip hop music, hip hop recording artist Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West. It was released on May 13, 2016 by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and Interscope Records, as the lead single ...

" by

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...

featuring

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, " No Shopping" by

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...

featuring Drake, " No Heart" by 21 Savage and

. In 2017, they co-produced high charting singles such as "

Tunnel Vision Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision. Causes Tunnel vision can be caused by: Eyeglass users Eyeglass users experience tunnel vision ...

" by

Kodak Black Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 songs " No Flockin" and " Skrt", both of ...

, " No Frauds" by

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

, Drake and

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

and "

MotorSport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

" by

Migos Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...

, Nicki Minaj and

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...

, and "a ghetto christmas carol" by

XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...

. In 2018, they co-produced " Sicko Mode" by Travis Scott, which peaked at number 1 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

. They have been nominated multiple times for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, winning once in 2019 for their work on

's album ''

Invasion of Privacy The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 185 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. Since the global ...

''.

Style

Online magazine ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' described Cubeatz' work in 2020 as "moody melodies with layers of effects".

Production discography

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

The

BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...

are awarded annually by BET. Cubeatz has been nominated seven times and won once. , - , rowspan="3",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, ''

Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...

'' , rowspan="2", Album of the Year , , - , '' Culture II'' , , - , ''

'' , Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award , , - , rowspan="5",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, ''

'' , rowspan="3", Album of the Year , , - , '' Astroworld'' , , - , '' Championships'' , , - , rowspan="2", '' Sicko Mode'' , Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award , rowspan="2" , - , Best Collaboration , - ,

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, '' Donda'' , Album of the Year ,

Grammy Awards

The

s are awarded annually by

The Recording Academy National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

. Cubeatz has been nominated ten times and won once. , - , rowspan="3",

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, rowspan="2", '' Views'' , Album of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", Best Rap Album , , - , ''

Blank Face LP ''Blank Face LP'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Schoolboy Q. It was released on July 8, 2016, through Top Dawg Entertainment and distributed by Interscope Records. SchoolBoy Q began work on the album in July 2014, months after ...

'' , , - , rowspan="4",

, rowspan="2", " Sicko Mode" , Best Rap Performance , rowspan="2" , - , Best Rap Song , - , ''

'' , rowspan="2", Best Rap Album , , - , '' Astroworld'' , , - , rowspan="4",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, Clout , Best Rap Performance , , - , '' I Am > I Was'' , rowspan="3", Best Rap Album , , - , '' Revenge of the Dreamers III'' , , - , '' Championships'' , , - , rowspan="2",

, rowspan="2", '' Donda'' , Album of the Year , rowspan="2" , - , Best Rap Album

Notes

References

{{Authority control German record producers Sony Music Publishing artists German musical duos Record production duos Hip-hop duos Twin musical duos German twins German male musical duos Family musical groups Hip-hop record producers