Kenny Beats

Kenneth Charles Blume III, known professionally as Kenny Beats, is an American record producer, audio engineer, and songwriter.

Early life

Kenneth Blume III was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. He has been studying music since the age of 9 when he started playing the guitar, playing drums since the age of 11, and producing music since his sophomore year of high school. His first guitar was a Fender Stratocaster and his first amplifier was a Fender Hot-Rod Deluxe. During his junior year at Greenwich High School, he was able to enter a national electronic-music competition hosted by the National Association for Music Education (NAFME) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Blume III won second place in the competition, which motivated him to start taking music production seriously.

After he graduated high school, he moved to New York, where he started interning for Cinematic Music Group in the summer of 2010. His internship at CMG led to his collaboration with artist Smoke DZA on 4 of his albums. It was also during the year 2010 when his music attracted the attention of Levi Maestro, leading to their collaboration on an ad campaign for Brisk. After spending some time in NY, he moved to Boston and studied Jazz Guitar and Music Business at Berklee College of Music.

Musical style

Kenny's production style varies. His digital audio workstation (DAW) of choice is Ableton Live. He plays piano, bass guitar, electric guitar & drums and often implements live instrumentation into his instrumentals, whether it performed by him or from a fellow instrumentalist.

A lot of his productions credits often fall into the Trap music sub-genre of hip-hop, commonly using 16th/8th note hi-hats with slight variation (such as rolls), hard-hitting kick drums, snares & booming 808 bass shots. He also explores more versatile instrumentation, tempos, production styles etc. such as with the likes of the more laid back and instrumental approach of songs such as singer Dominic Fike's "Phone Numbers" which contains a live guitar sample (performed by SNL lead guitarist Jared Scharff) and a more acoustic feel, backed by a Virtual Studio Technology (VST) version of a real electric bass within Ableton Live that plays the bass line, provided via the Kontakt (sampler) VST - or a more experimental sound, found within his collaborative project with rapper Denzel Curry "Unlocked" which contains many spoken word samples scattered throughout the tracks and a more disjointed feel, provided by various creative implementations of obscure musical samples found throughout the project. His songs often begin with the producer tag "Whoa, Kenny!", which was originally said by the Atlanta rapper KEY!, who is a frequent collaborator of Kenny's.

He has often talked about the importance of being in person with an artist he is recording and producing for, stating how valuable it can be to have immediate feedback on ideas and enhance the overall creativity and music that is produced.

Loudpvck

In 2009, while attending Berklee College of Music, Kenny met Ryan Marks, a DJ. These two became friends, and in 2012, they decided to form the EDM duo Loudpvck. Marks ultimately left the group in 2017 while Kenny transitioned from being a EDM producer to a hip-hop producer.

Social media presence

Kenny calls his studio ''The Cave'', and beginning in March 2019, launched a YouTube series of the same name, in which he invites artists to rap 16-32 bars over a custom beat he creates during the video. Usually, the artists are people that he already has experience with, or, is already friends with. The Cave is known for showcasing not only these artists' lyricism, but their personalities. As of April 1, 2020, Kenny has uploaded 23 episodes and amassed just over 31 million views. In addition to being his studio and the name of his YouTube series, ''The Cave'' is also the home to ''D.O.T.S. (Don't Over Think Shit)'', a creative group and brand that assists artists with their artistic vision.

Discography

Studio albums
* '' Louie'' (2022)

Collaborative albums
* ''777'' (with KEY!) (2018)
* ''2 Minute Drills'' (with ALLBLACK) (2018)
* ''Anger Management'' (with Rico Nasty) (2019)
* ''Netflix & Deal'' (with 03 Greedo) (2019)
* '' Unlocked'' (with Denzel Curry) (2020)

Production discography

2010

;Smoke DZA - ''Substance Abuse 1.5: The Headstash''
* 02. "Headstash" (featuring Den10)

; Smoke DZA - ''George Kush Da Button''
* 01. "Continental Kush Breakfast" (featuring Den10)

2011

;Smoke DZA - ''The Hustler's Catalog''
* 14. "Profit"

;Smoke DZA - ''Rolling Stoned''
* 05. "Ball Game" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
* 09. "Pow Wow" (featuring Dom Kennedy)

;Skeme - ''Before My Next Statement''
* 05. "Truth"

; Smoke DZA - ''Sweet Baby Kushed God''
* 01. "Smokey Klause"

2012

;ScHoolboy Q -
* "Party"

;Smoke DZA - ''K.O.N.Y.''
* 09. "Diamond" (featuring Ab-Soul)

;Skeme - ''Alive & Living''
* 16. "Everything On Me"

;Jet Life - ''Jet World Order 2''
* 06. "24 Hrs" (featuring Trademark Da Skydiver and Young Roddy)

2014

; Ab-Soul - '' These Days...''
* 03. "Hunnid Stax" (featuring ScHoolboy Q)

2016

;Lucki - ''Son of Sam''
* 01. "Double Check"
* 05. "His Only..."

;Skywlkr - ''Joints''
* 01. "3 Drugs" (featuring Kenny Beats)

2017

;Lucki -
* "Live It"

; Hoodrich Pablo Juan and Kenny Beats - ''South Dark''
* 01. "Dead End"
* 02. "Everyday"
* 03. "Ruthless" (featuring Duke)
* 04. "Do This"
* 05. "C Sick"
* 06. "3 Point Stance"
* 07. "Hood" (featuring Baby Uiie)

;DJ Lucas -
* "Big Dope"

;Lil Wop - ''Wopavelli 3''
* 05. "Topgolf"
* 09. "Dope Man"
* 10. "Walking Dead"
* 11. "Friday the 13th"
* 14. "Grow Up"
* 16. "Xans"

2018

;YoungBoy Never Broke Again - ''Until Death Call My Name''
* 09. "Traumatized"

; Key! and Kenny Beats - ''777''
* 01. "Demolition 1 + 2"
* 02. "Hater"
* 03. "Blurry"
* 04. "Boss"
* 05. "Move"
* 06. "Famous"
* 07. "It Gets Better"
* 08. "Kelly Price Freestyle"
* 09. "Love On Ice"
* 10. "Dig It"
* 11. "Toronto"
* 12. "True Love Interlude"
* 13. "Control"
* 14. "Twisted"
* 15. "Squeamish"

;Freddie Gibbs - '' Freddie''
* 02. "Automatic"
* 03. "Death Row"
* 07. "Set Set"
* 08. "Toe Tag"
* 09. "FBC"

; Zack Fox -
* "Square Up"

;Vince Staples - '' FM!''
* 01. "Feels Like Summer"
* 02. "Outside!"
* 03. "Don't Get Chipped"
* 05. "New earlsweatshirt"
* 07. "FUN!"
* 08. "No Bleedin"
* 09. "Brand New Tyga"
* 10. "[phone]"
* 11. "Tweakin"

; JPEGMafia and Kenny Beats -
* "Puff Daddy"

;10k.Caash - ''The Creator''
* 02. “Mutumbo”
* 10. "Aloha"

;JID - ''DiCaprio 2''
* 02. "Slick Talk"

;Ski Mask the Slump God - ''Stokeley''
* 03. "Foot Fungus"
* 05. "Unbothered"

2019

; Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats - ''Anger Management''
* 01. "Cold"
* 02. "Cheat Code" (featuring Baauer)
* 03. "Hatin"
* 04. "Big Titties" (featuring Baauer & EARTHGANG)
* 05. "Nasty World (skit)"
* 06. "Relative"
* 07. "Mood" (featuring Splurge)
* 08. "Sell Out"
* 09. "Again"

;Zack Fox and Kenny Beats -
* " Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)"

;Dominic Fike - ''Single''
* "Phone Numbers"

;Ed Sheeran - '' No.6 Collaborations Project''
* 04. "Take Me Back to London" (featuring Stormzy)

;Gucci Mane - ''Delusions of Grandeur''
* 06. "Proud of You"
* 15. "Us"

;Rexx Life Raj - ''Father Figure 3: Somewhere Out There''
* 03. "Moonwalk"

;Yung Bans - ''Misunderstood''
* 07. "Touch the Stars (featuring Lil TJay)"

;FKA twigs - '' Magdalene''
* 04. "Holy Terrain (feat. Future)"

;DaBaby - ''Kirk''
* 08. "Toes (featuring Lil Baby & Moneybagg Yo)"

; 03 Greedo and Kenny Beats - ''Netflix and Deal''
* 01. "Traffic"
* 02. "Paid in Full"
* 03. "Disco Shit" (featuring Freddie Gibbs)
* 04. "Maria"
* 05. "Blue People" (featuring Vince Staples)
* 06. "Beg Your Pardon" (featuring Maxo Kream)
* 07. "Honey I Shrunk The Kids"
* 08. "Brad Pitt"
* 09. "Aye Twin" (featuring Key!)
* 10. "Life"
* 11. "Payback" (featuring OhGeesy)
* 12. "Soul Food" (featuring Buddy)
* 13. "Dead Presidents"

2020

Key Glock ''- Yellow Tape''
* 11. "Loaded"

Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats ''- UNLOCKED''
* 01. "Track 01"
* 02. "Take_it_Back_v2"
* 03. "Lay_Up.m4a"
* 04. "Pyro (leak 2019)"
* 05. "DIET_"
* 06. "So.Incredible.pkg"
* 07. "Track07"
* 08. "'Cosmic'.m4a"

Deb Never and Kenny Beats -
* "Stone Cold"

James Vickery ''- Overture''
* 01. "Tear It Apart"

ICECOLDBISHOP and KENNY BEATS -
* "DICKIES SUIT"

Slowthai
* "MAGIC"

Aitch - ''Polaris''
* 01. "Safe to Say"

IDLES ''- Ultra Mono''
* 02. "Grounds"

Trash Talk and Kenny Beats - ''Squalor''
* 01. "Point No Point"
* 02. "Something Wicked"
* 03. "Worst of Times"
* 04. "Clutch/A.N.M."
* 05. "Kicking & Screaming"

SL - ''Selhurst SE25''
* 02. "Bad Luck"
* 03. "Little Bird"
* 04. "Leave Me Alone"

ICECOLDBISHOP and Kenny Beats -
* "TRICK DADDY"

Smino, JID, and Kenny Beats -
* "Baguetti"

Dominic Fike - '' What Could Possibly Go Wrong''
* 14. "Florida"

James Vincent McMorrow and Kenny Beats -
* "I Should Go"

Joji - ''Nectar''
* "Mr. Hollywood"

Fivio Foreign and Kenny Beats -
* "Bop It" (featuring Polo G)

Benee - ''Hey U X''
* 10. "Night Garden"

Bastille - ''Goosebumps EP''
* "Goosebumps"

2021

;Flo Milli
* "Roaring 20s"

;347aidan
* "IDWK"

slowthai - ''TYRON''
* 9. "Focus"
* 10. "Terms (featuring Dominic Fike & Denzel Curry)"

Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats - ''Unlocked 1.5''

* So.Incredible.pkg (Robert Glasper Version)
* Track07 (Georgia Anne Muldrow Version)
* Cosmic'.m4a (The Alchemist Version)
* Take_it_Back_v2 (Charlie Heat Version)
* Pyro (Sango Leak)
* Lay_Up.m4a (Jay Versace Version)
* DIET_1.5
* Take_it_Back_v2 (GODMODE 950 Version)

Vince Staples - ''Vince Staples''
* 01. "ARE YOU WITH THAT?"
* 02. "LAW OF AVERAGES"
* 03. "SUNDOWN TOWN"
* 04. "THE SHINING"
* 05. "TAKING TRIPS"
* 06. "THE APPLE & THE TREE"
* 07. "TAKE ME HOME"
* 08. "LIL FADE"
* 09. "LAKEWOOD MALL"
* 10. "MHM"

IDLES - '' CRAWLER''
* 01. "MTT 420 RR"
* 02. "The Wheel"
* 03. "When the Lights Come On"
* 04. "Car Crash"
* 05. "The New Sensation"
* 06. "Stockholm Syndrome"
* 07. "The Beachland Ballroom"
* 08. "Crawl!"
* 09. "Meds"
* 10. "Kelechi"
* 11. "Progress"
* 12. "Wizz"
* 13. "King Snake"
* 14. "The End"

Roddy Ricch - ''Live Life Fast''
* 11. "Murda One" (featuring Fivio Foreign)

2022

;Vince Staples - ''Ramona Park Broke My Heart''
* 1. "THE BEACH"
* 3. "DJ QUIK"
* 4. "MAGIC (featuring Mustard)"
* 7. "EAST POINT PRAYER (featuring Lil Baby)"
* 10. "LEMONADE (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)"
* 13. "BANG THAT (featuring Mustard)"
* 15. "ROSE STREET"
* 16. "THE BLUES"

;Denzel Curry - ''Melt My Eyez See Your Future''
* 7. "Troubles (featuring T-Pain)"

References

External links

Official Instagram (verified)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beats, Kenny
American hip hop record producers
Living people
Twitch (service) streamers
Berklee College of Music alumni
1991 births