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Kaytranada

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Kaytranada
Kaytranada in 2016
Kaytranada in 2016
Background information
Birth nameLouis Kevin Celestin
Also known as
  • Kaytra
  • Kaytradamus
Born (1992-08-25) August 25, 1992 (age 32)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
OriginMontreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres
Occupations
  • DJ
  • record producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
Discography
Years active2010–present
Labels
Member ofThe Celestics
Websitekaytranada.com

Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian music producer, rapper, singer and DJ.[1][2][3][4] Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of mixtapes, remixes, and original music projects beginning in 2010 under the alias Kaytradamus. By 2013, and under the moniker Kaytranada, he began gaining wider recognition and, the following year, signed a deal with XL Recordings, with whom he would release his critically acclaimed debut studio album 99.9% in 2016. In 2019, he released its follow-up, Bubba, for which he won two Grammy Awards including Best Dance/Electronic Album. Celestin is one half of the hip hop duo the Celestics, along with his brother Lou Phelps.

Early life

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Kaytranada was born Louis Kevin Celestin on August 25, 1992, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.[5][6] Shortly after he was born, his family relocated to Saint-Hubert[7] near Montreal where he was raised, and where he began his music career.[7] Kaytranada's father was employed as a taxi driver and an estate agent, and his mother worked in healthcare.[8] His parents divorced when he was 14.[8] That same year, Kaytranada began to produce his own music after his brother Lou Phelps introduced him to FL Studio.[7] The first song he ever sampled was Earth Wind & Fire's September, at 15 years old.[7] Kaytranada ended up dropping out of high school to pursue music full-time to help support his family financially.[9]

In an April 2016 article with The Fader, Kaytranada disclosed that he was gay and discussed his anxiety about coming out to his family.[10] In the same interview, he shared his hopes of avoiding being defined by his sexuality as he's seen peers be labeled in the industry.[11] Later in May of that same year, during an interview with The Guardian, he further opened up about mental health struggles brought on by his sexuality, which he said contributed to an identity crisis.[8]

Career

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Celestin began his career under the name Kaytradamus in 2010. He released two projects as Kaytradamus before changing his name to Kaytranada in 2012. In 2013 Kaytranada became an overnight hit on SoundCloud for his rework of "If" by Janet Jackson.[12] Kaytranada was on the roster of HW&W Recordings, an independent label based in Los Angeles and Toronto.[13] Kaytranada has released 13 projects and 41 remixes. He has toured more than 50 Canadian, American, European and Australian cities.[as of?][14][15][16][17]

In December 2014, he signed an exclusive recording agreement with XL Recordings. During 2015, Kaytranada opened for two nights of Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour, one in Canada and one in the United States.[18] Speculation arose that Kaytranada and producer Rick Rubin had started working together when a photo of them surfaced online around February 2015. It was later confirmed that they had formed a partnership backed by Pulse Recordings.[citation needed]

His debut album, 99.9%, was released on May 6, 2016.[19] The album includes features from GoldLink, AlunaGeorge, Syd, Anderson .Paak, and Vic Mensa, among others. He also collaborated with Craig David on the song "Got It Good", which is on David's sixth studio album, Following My Intuition. Kaytranada won the 2016 Polaris Music Prize for his album 99.9%.[20] The album received a score of 8.0 from Pitchfork.[21]

On December 13, 2019, his second album, Bubba, was released on RCA Records. It received a score of 8.1 from Pitchfork.[22]

On March 14, 2021, Kaytranada won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording for '10%' and Best Dance/Electronic Album for 'Bubba'.[23]

On October 13, 2022, it was leaked on Apple Music that Kaytranada would feature on two songs, "I'm Lying" and "High Grade", of Lancey Foux's album Life in Hell, which would release on October 28, 2022.

On April 7, 2023, Kaytranada and Aminé released "4eva" featuring Pharrell Williams, the first single from their joint album.[24] The duo released a joint studio album, Kaytraminé, on May 19, 2023.[25] The album includes guest verses from Pharrell Williams, Freddie Gibbs, Big Sean, Amaarae, and Snoop Dogg.

Kaytranada performed at the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023.[26]

In May 2024, Kaytranada announced that his third solo album, Timeless, would release on June 7, 2024.[27] Collaborators on the album include Childish Gambino, PinkPantheress, Don Toliver, and Ravyn Lenae, among others.

Personal life

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Being a vocal member of the gay community, Kaytranada became the first Black producer and the first openly gay artist to win the award for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the Grammy Awards in 2021 for his work on his sophomore album, Bubba.[12] Kaytranada discussed this in a 2021 interview with Billboard, before the event, "A lot of young kids who aspire to be musicians probably have the same inner struggles as me, being Black and gay just [trying to] fit in".[28] Coming out in 2016, Kaytranada spoke about being gay and not fitting into stereotypical conceptions of a gay person, stating: "That's what I dealt with coming up. I was like, Yeah, I'm gay. But am I really gay? 'Cause I don't have the culture down. I'm not like, 'Yes, queen!' and stuff like that. So that was really hard to deal with." He has also spoken about the pressure he felt in relation to his lack of knowledge of LGBTQ history, his interracial relationship, and social media.[29]

Discography

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Main article: Kaytranada discography

Since 2010, Kaytranada has released three studio albums, two studio EPs, numerous singles, and at least a dozen beat tapes. He is also a prolific remix artist and has released a series of collaborative projects with the Celestics and Robert Glasper, among others.

Studio albums

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Production discography

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Main article: Kaytranada production discography

Awards and nominations

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Year Awards Category Nominated work Result
2015 SOCAN Awards Electronic Music Award Kaytranada Won
2016 Rober Awards Music Prize[30] Best Electronica Kaytranada Won
Breakthrough Artist Nominated
Floorfiller of the Year "Lite Spots" Nominated
iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards[31] Best Post Production Nominated
AIM Independent Music Awards[32] Independent Video of the Year Nominated
Polaris Music Prize[20] Canadian Album of the Year 99.9% Won
Abilu Music Awards[33] International Electronic Album of the Year Won
2017 Juno Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
Electronic Album of the Year 99.9% Won
Video of the Year "Lite Spots" Nominated
Canadian Independent Music Awards[34] Album of the Year 99.9% Nominated
Artist of the Year Kaytranada Won
iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards[35] Video of the Year "Glowed Up" (ft. Anderson .Paak) Nominated
SOCAN Songwriting Prize Nominated
2019 "Chances" (ft. Shay Lia) Nominated
2020 Polaris Music Prize Canadian Album of the Year Bubba Shortlisted
2021 Grammy Awards[36] Best New Artist Kaytranada Nominated
Best Dance Recording "10%" (ft. Kali Uchis) Won
Best Dance/Electronic Album Bubba Won
Juno Awards[37] Best Dance Recording Won
Producer of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
2022 Grammy Awards[38] Album of the Year Back of My Mind (as featured artist) Nominated
Best R&B Album Nominated
Juno Awards[39] Producer of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
Best Dance Recording "Caution" Won
2023 Grammy Awards[40] Best Dance/Electronic Recording "Intimidated" (with H.E.R.) Nominated
Juno Awards[41] Rap Single of the Year "Twin Flame" (with Anderson .Paak) Won
Producer of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
BET Hip Hop Awards[42] DJ of the Year Nominated
Producer of the Year Nominated
2024 BET Hip Hop Awards[43] DJ of the Year Nominated
2025 Grammy Awards[44] Best Dance/Electronic Recording "Witchy" (featuring Childish Gambino) Pending
Best Dance/Electronic Album Timeless Pending
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical "Alter Ego (Kaytranada remix)" (Doechii featuring JT) Pending

References

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  1. ^ "Stream King Kaytranada Finds Success IRL". MTV October 22, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  2. ^ "Kaytranada - At All". Pitchfork September 5, 2013. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  3. ^ "Listen to Kaytranada's Remix of Pharrell's "Happy"". Complex May 12, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  4. ^ "Photo Diary: Kaytranada x Mobb Deep in the Studio". Red Bull March 31, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  5. ^ "Kaytranada Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
  6. ^ "Kaytranada | The Canadian Encyclopedia". Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d "Kaytranada". Redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Kaytranada: 'I prefer a house party vibe. Just the local place to have fun'". the Guardian. May 5, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "Kaytranada Is Reaching 100%". The FADER. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  10. ^ Frank, Alex (April 5, 2016). "Kaytranada Is Reaching 100%". The Fader. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  11. ^ "Watch Kaytranada Discuss Sexual Orientation, Depression on 'Sway in the Morning'". Complex.com. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Adams, Kelsey (February 12, 2024). "Meet Kaytranada, the dance music producer taking over hip-hop and R&B". Cbc.ca.
  13. ^ "Kaytranada". Huhwhatandwhere.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  14. ^ "Kaytranada: Not Missing A Beat". Vice February 5, 2014. February 6, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  15. ^ "Kaytranada". EARMILK. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  16. ^ "Kaytranada (Vibe)". Vibe. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  17. ^ "Kaytranada Channels Dilla, Embraces Up-Tempo Neo-Soul". Spin June 3, 2014. June 3, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  18. ^ "Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour Confirms Kaytranada Will Open Tonight's Show at Joe Louis Arena". Broadwayworld.com.
  19. ^ "25 best Canadian debut albums ever". CBC Music, June 16, 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Kaytranada wins 2016 Polaris Music Prize for his album 99.9%". The Globe and Mail. September 19, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Kaytranada: 99.9% Album Review - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com.
  22. ^ "Kaytranada: Bubba Album Review - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com.
  23. ^ "KAYTRANADA Wins Best Dance/Electronic Album". Grammy.com. March 14, 2021.
  24. ^ Monroe, Jazz (April 7, 2023). "Kaytraminé (Kaytranada and Aminé) Announce Album, Enlist Pharrell Williams for New Song: Watch the Video". Pitchfork.
  25. ^ Mamo, Heran (May 19, 2023). "Kaytranada & Aminé Release 'KAYTRAMINÉ' Album: Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  26. ^ "Kali Uchis and Aminé Join Kaytranada at Coachella 2023". Pitchfork. April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  27. ^ Ihaza, Jeff (May 22, 2024). "Kaytranada Reveals Tracklist, Guests, Date for His New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  28. ^ Bain, Katie (March 15, 2021). "Kaytranada Is the First Black Artist to Win Best Dance/Electronic Album Grammy". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  29. ^ Smith, DeMario P. "Kaytranada Talks Familiarizing Himself With Gay Culture After Coming Out: 'I Had To Learn A Lot' - Blavity". Blavity.com.
  30. ^ "The Rober Awards 2016 Music Poll | Rober Awards".
  31. ^ "Drake, Alessia Cara lead with seven nods each at MMVAs". Toronto Star. May 18, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  32. ^ "AIM Awards 2016 shortlist revealed". Musicweek.com. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  33. ^ "2016年阿比鹿音乐奖特别单元年度海外唱片获奖名单公布". Artist.douban.com.
  34. ^ "Home - Jim Beam INDIES with INDIE88". Jim Beam INDIES with INDIE88. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  35. ^ "Full List of THE 2017 IHEARTRADIO MMVA Nominees – Bell Media". Bellmedia.ca. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  36. ^ "Grammy Nominations 2021". The New York Times. November 24, 2020.
  37. ^ Holly Gordon and Andrea Warner, "Here are the 2021 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, June 4, 2021.
  38. ^ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  39. ^ "2022 JUNO Award Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  40. ^ "2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List". GRAMMYs. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  41. ^ ""Here are all the 2023 Juno nominees"". CBC Music. January 31, 2023.
  42. ^ Grein, Paul (September 7, 2023). "Cardi B & 21 Savage Lead Nominations for 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  43. ^ Paul, Larisha (September 18, 2024). "Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar, Drake Lead 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominations". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  44. ^ "2025 GRAMMYs: See The OFFICIAL Full Nominations List | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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