KAYTRANADA

One of the cornerstones of Black Tea is to feature not only incredible artists, but their stories as well. With that in mind, it’s perfectly understandable why we can’t get enough of KAYTRANADA. The Haitian-born, Montreal-raised signer, songwriter, producer, and beatmaker has become one of the most unique voices in hip hop, R&B, and dance music today. What started as a bedroom-based operation, quickly turned into underground notoriety as a SoundCloud gem, with remixes and early beats already demonstrating the innovation and creativity that has since become a staple of his musical identity. After a pair of incredible albums, 99.9% and BUBBA, KAYTRANADA’s sound has only continued to evolve, while still remaining totally authentic. KAYTRANADA tracks feature this indescribably human vibe to them, and while tempos or collaborators may change, the essence of his truly unique sound always remains.

This week, KAYTRANADA becomes only the second artist in Black Tea history to be double featured twice. His first double feature was all the way back on the second edition of Black Tea in March of 2020. We’re featuring two tracks from his 2021 EP Intimidated, “$payforhaiti (featuring the exciting and enigmatic Mach-Hommy) and the title track “Intimidated” (featuring Black Tea alum H.E.R.). Both tracks feature KAYTRANADA’s signature groove and humanity. The beats are not only razor sharp, but the collaborations bring out the best from each artist. H.E.R.’s powerful vocals, purposefully restrained in this instance, float elegantly among a hip, snare and bass driven beat and a catchy piano groove. Mach-Hommy’s ingenious flow pairs perfectly with KAYTRANADA's R&B influenced beat, making for an intricate dance between precision and artistic freedom. While KAYTRANADA’s signature style is all over each track, they still sound distinct and unique.