Konstantinos Karakolis
Konstantinos Karakolis
Following a number of gorgeous videos that flooded the internet over the latter half of August, prolific producer Kenny Beats has finally unveiled his debut album LOUIE. A bold display of his artistic mind, LOUIE finds the multifaceted producer compiling 17 tracks over 33 minutes, making for a sweet, summery and unique listening experience.
LOUIE was created over the course of a single month back in 2020, while Kenny Beats was quarantined in the UK working on Idles’ fourth album, Crawler. After receiving news that his father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the producer set out to create the project, paying tribute to his father and the mixtapes he was creating in the 90s.
Kenny Beats and his father’s close relationship is evident all over the project, with a conversation between them audible in the intro track, “Leonard,” another interaction at "The Perch," as well as a callback to Kenny’s childhood during the album’s stunning visualizer.
Kenny Beats’ unmatched ability to curate tasteful collaborations is a skill that has contributed to his rise as one of hip-hop’s most sought-after producers. Expert teamwork is on full display throughout the album. Contrary to his previous work, however, Kenny’s guests take the back seat on LOUIE, while he steers the ship in unexpected and vibrant directions.
LOUIE truly feels like an intimate family affair, with some of Kenny Beats’ closest collaborators making up most of the featured artists. “Parenthesis” and “Hold My Hand” feature contributions from rapper and producer Pink Siifu, and nicely introduce listeners into a carefree yet nostalgic auditory world. Beloved UK rapper slowthai appears on “Family Tree,” while Omar Apollo and JPEGMAFIA are featured on “Still.” Both tracks mark some of the most vocal-heavy additions to an otherwise instrumental-heavy project, yet nicely blend within the tracklist.
These are just some of the charming moments on Kenny Beats’ debut. On “Get Around,” a distorted drum loop and a mesmerizing sample are seemingly trying to catch up with each other, while Nami’s soulful vocals nicely accompany the atmospheric and laid-back production on “Rotten.”
LOUIE is a sun-kissed display of creativity, driven by an assortment of vintage samples and laced with lots of exciting moments throughout. Enjoythe full projectbelow:
Additional production credits on LOUIE include Homer Steinweiss, Leon Michels, Mac DeMarco, Omar Apollo and Paul Spring. The full list of collaborators can be found below.
