Who Is KAYTRANADA?

KAYTRANADA is an artist whose genre may be hard to describe for some. While in a technical sense, it is EDM (Electronic Dance Music), he brings something new to it entirely - a groove. His music combines elements from house, dance, R&B, hip-hop, and more. Because of this diversified blend, KAYTRANADA has featured rappers and singers in his songs. This has been a constant throughout his entire career. Like other EDM artists, he’s also remixed other songs, some of them being chart-topping pop hits. However, his latest endeavor is a full collaboration album with rapper Aminé. The title of the album - and their duo - KAYTRAMINÉ creatively combine their names.

KAYTRANADA’s genre-defining origins go back to the year 2010. At this point, he was going by the moniker Kaytradamus. He grew up in Canada and was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. He dropped out of high school to pursue music full-time and help his family financially. Under the moniker Kaytradamus, he released two projects and shortened his name to KAYTRANADA in 2012. One of these projects was a collaboration project with his brother, rapper Lou Phelps. The name of their duo was The Celestics. He began gaining notoriety through his remixes on SoundCloud and, in 2015, opened for Madonna for shows in the United States and Canada. Another landmark career moment is his Boiler Room DJ Set in Montreal from 2013, which has received over 19 million views on YouTube.

KAYTRANADA’s genre-blending debut album had a lot of heavy hitters. Titled 99.9%, the album has 16 tracks and an eye-catching cover. Naturally, there are several features on the album as well as instrumental solo tracks. These features included unique bands like BADBADNOTGOOD and Little Dragon, with the former having a strong connection to the rap world. Soulful singers like Anderson .Paak and Syd also made appearances. This debut album brought many new ears to KAYTRANADA’s music through these collaborations. After this, KAYTRANADA continued doing remixes/edits/versions of other songs. These were done for artists like singer Teedra Moses. This showcased his ability to adapt and bring something from one world to his. He also released more singles which featured the now-defunct duo VanJess, Kelela, and Ty Dolla $ign.

KAYTRANADA's second album solidified his music in the game. This project had even bigger features than his debut project. This project, titled BUBBA, dropped in 2019. It featured heavy hitters like SiR, Kali Uchis, Masego, Pharrell, and more. This album is a special one in his discography. In 2020, he released the instrumental version of it. This is becoming more and more common with producers. Their listeners go to them for their production, but a song with vocals may only get to appreciate it during the song's final instrumental moments fully. By having the instrumental version of the album available, his listeners can decide which version of their favorite songs they want to hear.

KAYTRANADA’s music is one whose genre is often called “dance” but calling it “genreless” may be even more accurate. On his EP Intimidated, released in 2021, he collaborates with singer H.E.R., bassist/singer Thundercat, and underground rapper Mach-Hommy. The one with Mach-Hommy, titled “$payforhaiti,” has him connecting with a fellow Haitian artist. However, many were introduced to KAYTRANADA through his work with the neo-soul band, The Internet. He’s credited as a feature on their song “Girl” and has production credits. He also remixed their song “Roll (Burbank Funk).” KAYTRANADA also co-produced the PinkPantheress single “Do you miss me?” He even ventured into the pop world and remixed Dua Lipa's mega-hit "Don't Start Now." However, his biggest remix might be his version of Beyonce’s “CUFF IT,” which he debuted at Coachella 2023 and has not released on streaming services yet.

KAYTRANADA came out to the world in an interview with The Fader in 2016. Before this, he came out to his family as bi, but after more reflection, he came out as gay. Before these moments, he spoke of feeling like two people were inside him and like he was trying to be something he was not. These emotions affected his mental state, relationship, and interactions with family members. Since coming out, things have naturally been better in all aspects as he feels genuinely happy with himself and the relationships he has in his life.

KAYTRANADA's upcoming collab album with Aminé titled KAYTRAMINÉ releases May 19, 2023, and is sure to continue to break boundaries. Since BUBBA, KAYTRANADA has done a few live performances. One was at Coachella in 2023, and the other was at Virginia music festival Something In The Water this year. KAYTRANADA’s set design featured visuals paired with the sometimes bold, sometimes more subdued but still danceable music he makes. Listeners will have to stay tuned to see if a tour follows the release of his latest album.

[Via]