In 2016, Louis Kevin Celestin, aka Kaytranada, stepped out from behind the sound booth to make his debut solo album, a bold move considering albums made by beatmakers can often become clunky collages of disparate singles with no real artistic unity. Not the case for the excellent 99.9%, for which the Quebecer with Haitian origins joined forces with Craig David, BadBadNotGood, Phonte, Syd from The Internet, Anderson .Paak, AlunaGeorge, GoldLink, Vic Mensa, Karriem Riggins and the Swedes from Little Dragon.
Three years later, and his second album Bubba also brings out the big guns, this time featuring Kali Uchis, Pharrell Williams, Tinashe, Mick Jenkins, Charlotte Day Wilson, Estelle, GoldLink, SiR, Iman Omari, Masego, VanJess, Eight9Fly, Ari PenSmith, Durand Bernarr, and Teedra Moses.
PUFF LAH
KAYTRANADAOnce again, the eclectic nature of the varying styles and voices on the album never stop Kaytranada from taking the lead. Bubba has the allure of a groove mixtape centred around a core of house and soul, all while touching on a plethora of other styles along the way (indie R&B, smooth hip-hop, chillwave, funky pop, light downtempo).
Kaytranada | Pitchfork Music Festival Paris 2018 | Full Set
PitchforkThe Canadian, like many of his counterparts of the same generation, consistently manages to deliver an unstoppable and individual beat that allows the featured vocals to blend in perfectly with it. This technique is best exemplified on 10% with Kali Uchis, a banger that exhibits the power of a catchy melody without having to reinvent the wheel. Addictive.
