Ray-Ban and Boiler Room are back at SXSW Festival with an exclusive showcase presented by Kaytranada. Keep your eyes peeled for artist announcements every day this week. We start proceedings by peeking through the Canadian’s backlog of sampled gems.
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Samples have long been the lifeblood of hip hop, forming a constant homage to itself, a commentary about all that has come before and a gauge of what is still relevant. They’re still part of the staple diet for plenty of hip hop beat merchants – around since the genesis of Kool Herc’s experimentations in the Bronx but ever-applicable in 2015. Times have shifted and styles may have diverged, yet sampling is still a fundamental part of rap’s nervous system.
Kaytranada is well aware of this. A product of the Soundcloud age, his output has maintained a tendency to spin old-school snippets into danceable jams – showing appreciation for the past shared with a whole generation of mouse-clickers and tweeters. It’s a mandate that’s been built into his bones, mind. Born to Haitian parents in Port-au-Prince and Canadian-bred, his parents were avid fans of The Fugees, Pink Floyd and Michael Jackson among others.
He’s been flitting out FL Studio-built rhythms ever since he was 15, with a series of early Bandcamp joints stringing together a mixture of disco house tidbits, trap and soul and eventually file releases on HW&W and Jakarta Records.
Slippery, off-kilter hip-hop wonk has been a staple of Kaytra’s explorations, yes – but there’s always been a particular sway towards female voices. Azealia Banks, Amerie, Jill Scott and Missy Elliott to name a few. His professed bucket list of feminine muses has both Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill high up the ranks. 2013’s “At All” was a jungle gym of twisted womanly sampling, synth play and bubbling drum jabs. Listen close and it’s Chaka Khan’s 1981 gem “I Know You, I Live You” that wails through. Special mention must also go out to the accompanying video that mimicked Eric Prydz’ “Call On Me” – albeit if the women had been pumped with whey protein rather than tanning pills.
The 22-year old has become an avatar for hip-hop’s slow cohesion with dancefloor music. A movement that engulfed Soundcloud feeds towards the latter end of the noughties and continues to drip its way through. The Kaytra model of blending J Dilla-influenced swing and loosey-goosey basslines regularly results in bouts of uptempo soul tailored to the nightspot. His techniques have helped open up a new stomping ground for hip-hop beatmakers – now capable of lacing rap couplets atop a house-derived four-to-the-floor soundbed.
Image: Martin C. Pariseau
Of course, he’s had his fair share of Boiler Room action typifying how that rap-dance combo can work. This is the same guy who notoriously caused a stir in NYC when he confronted the audience saying, “y’all mother*ckers better dance and shit, instead of staying on your goddamn phones”. Then there was his triumphant return to home turf – joined by Shash’U, Tommy Kruise and High Klassified – a sweaty affair full of writhing honeys, fresh remixes and unheard new jams. The latter has been viewed over a million times on YouTube.
Kay signed a deal with XL Recordings in mid-2014 and promptly revealed a new track, “Leave Me Alone” featuring Shay Lia. Talk of an EP quickly levelled up to an album and it’s this full-length project that the internet faithful expect later this year. The samples are still there – most recently kneading Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” into his latest venture with Vic Mensa – but he’s developed on from his re-edit mastery.
The Soundcloud era required its own prodigal son, and Kaytranada beckoned to that call. If he continues on this trajectory, a seat at the roundtable of beat production greats is vacant and up for the taking. Onwards and upwards indeed.
