Kenny Beats: Give the Beat a Point of View

An artist’s story behind a producer’s record

In Song Exploder’s 2023 episode, Kenny Beats discusses “Still” from Louie, his 2022 album paying tribute to his father. The episode identifies guest vocals by JPEGMAFIA and Omar Apollo and a sample from Linda Kemp. It also links his video series The Cave. This feature centers on the original audio interview rather than presenting it as a video tutorial.

Write a brief before you rearrange the loop

Our exercise begins with one sentence about the intended feeling. Avoid references that are only names of other producers. Describe a tension you can make decisions around: a bright surface with an uneasy undertone, an intimate idea that gradually opens, or a confident groove interrupted by silence.

The brief helps you choose between two technically good versions. One chop may preserve a recognizable musical gesture; another may become pure rhythm. You do not need to keep both because they took time to make. Keep the version that supports the emotional direction and save the alternative outside the active arrangement.

Try this: turn eight bars into a small journey

Use a recording you made or a sample licensed for your intended project. The following is an original exercise, not a recreation of “Still” or its sample.

• Make an eight-bar core idea. Identify the part that carries the most character.
• Create an opening by withholding one important element. Let the listener notice its eventual entrance.
• Build a second section by changing a rhythm, register, or harmonic support rather than adding every available layer.
• Create one brief interruption: a rest, a shortened tail, or a bar with only the central sound.
• Return to the core idea. Check whether the earlier contrast makes the return feel earned.
• Export the arrangement and write down where your attention fades. Revise that moment before polishing every individual sound.

Keep the project usable for the next person

Name your tracks by their roles, retain the source recording, and note which edits created the current version. If someone else needs to record or mix, export aligned files from a shared starting point and confirm the requested format. A clear handoff protects the musical idea from preventable confusion.

Keep sample provenance with the session. Do not assume that hearing a sound in a public video grants permission to release it in your own record. When permissions are unclear, choose your own recording for the exercise and resolve rights separately before any commercial release.