Leven Kali is a Dutch-born American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work on Beyoncé's Renaissance, Drake's More Life and Playboi Carti's self titled mixtape Playboi Carti.[2]
Leven Kali Simon-Seay | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1994 Netherlands |
| Genres | Neo soul[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Labels | Interscope Records (2019–2021) |
Born into a family of musicians, Simon-Seay was conceived in the Netherlands while his father, bass guitarist Jerry "Wyzard" Seay, was on a European tour with his band Mother's Finest.[3] His family subsequently relocated to Santa Monica, California at the age of eight, where he would eventually join the music program at Crossroads High School, building a close-knit network of musicians and visual artists.[3] Upon graduation, Simon-Seay attended University of California, Riverside on an NCAA Division I golf scholarship before moving into music creation.[4][5] Simon-Seay, alongside Daniel Memmi and Solomon "Sol Was" Cole, friends he made through his Crossroads High School music program, joined forces as a production/songwriting team, subsequently co-creating Renaissance standout "Virgo's Groove".[6]
Discography
editStudio albums
- Low Tide (2019) (Interscope Records) [7]
- HIGHTIDE (2020) (Interscope Records) [8][9]
- Let It Rain EP (2022) [10]
Songwriting and production credits
editCredits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic.
Guest appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Flex" [17] | 2017 | Playboi Carti | Playboi Carti |
| "Text Me" | 2018 | Diggy Simmons | Lighten Up |
| "Wait On You" [18] | 2021 | Jay Worthy, Na-Kel Smith | Two4Two |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 65th Annual Grammy Awards | Album of the Year (Renaissance) | Nominated | [19] |
| Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album (Renaissance) A | Won |
Notes
edit- A. A Winning producers in this category with less than a 50% album contribution are awarded with a Winner's Certificate.
References
edit- ^ "Neo-Soul 2020: 23 Contemporary Artists Pushing the Sound Forward - Okayplayer". www.okayplayer.com. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Leven Kali is Making Soul Music for a New Generation of Listeners". June 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Leven Kali's Guide to Life". Office Magazine. October 31, 2017. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Leven Kali on His Colorful Career & 'Hi Tide' His Upcoming Project [Premiere + Interview]". Okayplayer. January 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Leven Kali Went from Master Golfer to Musician". April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Garcia, Thania (August 17, 2022). "Fine-Tuning Beyoncé's "Virgo's Groove": How Three High-School Friends Ended Up Producing a Song on 'Renaissance'". Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Leven Kali Delivers Dynamite Soul in Droves on His Debut Album 'Low Tide' | Album Review". Albumism. May 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Leven Kali / An Absorption Of The Moon". www.flaunt.com.
- ^ "Leven Kali Went From Master Golfer to Musician". Teen Vogue. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Samuels, Keithan (October 28, 2022). "Leven Kali on New EP 'Let It Rain': Interview". Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Here Are The Full Credits For More Life". The FADER. March 18, 2017. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Amandla Stenberg Makes Their Music Video Debut". May 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ "EXO's 'Love Shot' Album: The Producers & Songwriters Break Down Every Song". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Folk, Antwane (March 3, 2022). "Tinashe Releases '333 (Deluxe)' Album". Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "JAZMINE SULLIVAN RELEASES BRAND NEW SONG "TRAGIC" – Sony Music Canada". Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ Lynch, Joe (July 29, 2022). "Beyonce's 'Renaissance' Songwriting Credits: Here's Who Wrote Each Song". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Meet Leven Kali, the Singer Featured on Playboi Carti's Debut Mixtape". April 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ "Wait On You by Jay Worthy". Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See the Complete Nominees List". Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
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