Artist Spotlight: Kaytranada
It’s time we give Kaytranada the attention he deserves.
Louis Kevin Celestin, more popularly known as Kaytranada, is a Hatian-Canadian DJ/producer who has been making waves in the electronic scene for the past half decade. Boasting an eclectic, genre-bending discography, Kaytra has made a career of walking the lines between electronic, dance, hip-hop, funk and jazz.
His 2016 debut album, 99.9%, still bops to this day. It features ahead-of-its-time production and sonic innovation. It is described by Kaytra himself as an “abstract feeling,” and “uptempo, neo-soul.”
Even the cover art is sure to give you psychedelic, funk-hop vibes. It features artists like Anderson .Paak, Vic Mensa, GoldLink, AlunaGeorge, and others. It went on to chart at #2 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums.
His second studio album, Bubba, brings similar versatility. In typical Kaytra fashion, he adheres to absolutely no genre on this project, taking bits and pieces from afro-jazz, hip-hop, R&B, house, funk and disco.
In particular, this album draws notable inspiration from West African musical styles. It features Kali Uchis, Masego, Tinashe, Pharrell Williams, and more. Bubba peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Album chart.
In addition to his own impressive collection of records, he’s made a name for himself by producing tracks for big-time artists. Kaytra produced Freddie Gibbs’s “Insecurities,” Anderson .Paak’s “Lite Weight,” and Chance the Rapper’s “All Night” to name a few.
Within the last month, he produced “Teen Scene” by Maeta ft. Buddy, and “The Recipe” by Aluna ft. Rema - both are absolute bops.
He’s also released official remixes for an impressive series of mainstream records including: “Russian Roulette” by Rihanna, “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake, “Treasure” by Bruno Mars, “Happy” by Pharell, and “Bubblin’” by Anderson .Paak.
His most recent remix of Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” offers a more laid back rendition of the hit song.
Over the last few weeks, Kaytranada has made noise by releasing a collection of unreleased tracks on his SoundCloud, dating back to 2015. These tracks, some unfinished, are a testament to Kaytra’s talent, as even tracks of his that he considers throwaways still offer an impressive level of production, innovation and listenability.
And as of today, Kaytranada scored a big slot headlining III Points 2021 in Miami, alongside Wu-Tang Clan, The Strokes and ZHU.
His ability to blur the lines between electronic, hip-hop, funk and jazz have rewarded him with great success as an artist. He has two critically acclaimed albums to his name, a buffet of remixes and credits on several songs from well-known artists, yet he’s STILL just getting started.
Check him out if you haven't yet, you won’t regret it.
Written by Sam Kalchbrenner, Edited by Emma Barsky