LOUIE

After catching the multi-talented producer behind the decks at All Points East, with an insanely fun set that exceeded all expectations, I was delighted to hear of a full-length LP from the Connecticut star. But, this LP was conceptualised following a dark month in Kenny’s life, dedicated from son-to-father – unfortunately, Kenny’s dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during lockdown in 2020. In an interview for NME, Kenny stated ‘I always said that I wouldn’t do a solo album because I didn’t have anything to say. Finally, I did […]’. 

Teased through a series of stimulating, cinematic video snippets on YouTube, the album features contributions from slowthai, JPEGMAFIA, Remi Wolf, Omar Apollo, and Mac DeMarco, but for the first time, Kenny is in the spotlight, rather than his guests. Whilst most know him for his work with the likes of Denzel Curry, Vince Staples, and KEY!, as well as his hilarious YouTube series The Cave which sees the producer cooking up quick fire beats for artists live in studio, this album will hopefully cause listeners to view the producer as his own artist, à la KAYTRANADA or Pi’erre Bourne. It really shows him crafting his very own passion project, with intricate vintage beats, and a sentimental story arc. 

As someone who misses the experimental, weird side of Vince Staples’ music, I’m not as big a fan of his work with Kenny Beats. This initially led me to be a little sceptical about Kenny’s talent, but any doubts were quickly put to rest with his UNLOCKED LP in collaboration with Denzel Curry, a monstrous display of glitchy, hard-hitting, grungy beats, and a stylistic match made in heaven for Denzel. This album on the other hand, is much brighter. At 17 songs, the LP is still only 33 minutes, resembling an old school beat tape with its fleeting sounds and ideas. But, unlike many of those old beat tapes, there seems like a lot more work going into this to make it a cohesive body of work, with lavish, luxuriously sunny beats and beautiful chopped up samples and melodies. This album doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it envelops you in its obscure, soulful world. 

The album begins with some cinematic piano playing, and a touching conversation with Kenny’s father, setting the stage for this bittersweet listen. It encapsulates the front cover of this record, a gorgeous painting showing Kenny sat by his dad, in the park, people passing by as the two listen to music on a sunny day. That’s what a lot of this album feels like… A gift to his dad, sharing music with him in the same way that his dad would’ve shared music with a younger Kenny growing up. 

Parenthesis is the first instrumental track, sounding like an upbeat, warm moment from J Dilla’s Donuts. It feels like a daydream, and despite having no words, Kenny is clearly communicating his relationship with his dad through the melancholic, uplifting melodies. The next track is an incredible head bobber, with its background vocals from Pink Siifu, samples of ‘hold my head up high’ and an irresistible, bouncy energy. Whilst there are certainly moments on this LP where you’re begging for a rap verse, or imagining your favourite feature over the instrumentals, that’s being a little selfish of us, as these beats show Kenny for once building his own narrative, through a serious of exceptionally well-produced, antique soul laced rhythms. 

The joyous yet somewhat mournful production continues on to So They Say, which feels almost like something from The Avalanches with its dreamy tone, and sound collage influences. Whilst certainly more Hip Hop than plunderphonics, it sure sounds like something from the Wildflower world. The next track, Family Tree sees the first full on feature – with slowthai making a guest appearance. It’s definitely a highlight, and a welcome change of scenery, but Kenny is very calculated with how he utilises the features on this project. slowthai feels secondary to the production with his pitch shifted vocals, just simply adding texture to the beat. The features are merely here to blend in with the production, teasing us, yet building Kenny’s dense universe. JPEGMAFIA and Omar Apollo pop up on Still playing a similar role, adding colour to the already vibrant production. The album utilises adlibs to add grain too, like Westside Gunn’s charismatic ‘AYO!’, misleading us into thinking we might get a Griselda verse. 

One thing you have to give this album credit for is, it sounds and feels, incredibly warm. It’s homely, cosy… Serene wallpaper in a living room, but, not to call it wallpaper in an offensive light – it’s just very comforting. ‘Still’ ends with a skit, stating ‘you can't play this around no rapper, yo, 'Cause it's just gonna be, like, it's-it's just, keep this locked the fuck up’, which is good advice - all the beats on this album would sound great with Kenny’s rapper friends spitting over the top, but he clearly needs to release these songs without significant contributions, to paint his own self portrait, and keep his father’s legacy alive. But, I’m sure we’ll hear many exciting remixes over many of those beats anyway.

On ‘Get Around’, we get some instantly recognisable, tranquil vocals from the ever-talented Dijon, but once again, Kenny’s skills on the boards are the sole emphasis. To further drive my point home, Fousheé, Vince Staples, and Remi Wolf show up on the next standout – Last Words, but any vocals you do here from them simply push Kenny’s story along, much like Benny Sing’s cries of ‘I keep wondering where you are’ on the following track. The tone of each track is so consistent with the last - wonderful slices of soul, faint vinyl crackle, and cheerful, snappy tunes.

The penultimate track Rotten is a much more solemn, downbeat moment on the album, but an equally stunning one nonetheless, whilst closing track Hot Hand hectically wraps things up, with its anxiety inducing fast-paced raps from Paris Texas. The track builds to a crescendo before cutting out, leaving you in silence with your own interpretation of the record's themes. I left this project very impressed, Kenny somehow made a fun, thought provoking, albeit brief, producer album, one which doesn’t conform to the usual shortcomings of producer albums, and even though it was birthed out of something horrible, he’s fashioned it into something warm, uplifting, and beautiful.