Omar Apollo

Kenny Beats is a hip-hop producer who’s been making beats and producing songs for other artists since 2010. He’s got a long list of collaborations, with rappers like Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs, and Denzel Curry. In 2022, he did something he wasn’t really ever expecting to do, which was to release an album of his own. The album is called Louie, and it’s a tribute to Kenny’s father. I talked to Kenny about the song “Still,” the first song he made specifically for this project. It features guest vocals from JPEGMafia and Omar Apollo, and a sample from gospel singer Linda Kemp. Louie includes a lot of tracks where you can hear Kenny’s dad’s voice, and even though "Still" isn’t one of them, as Kenny explains, his relationship with his dad is embedded in the song’s DNA. For more, visit songexploder.net/kenny-beats.

A delightful podcast features heartbroken music by Omar Apollo, controversial merengue electrónico from Karol G, and jazz and Afro-Puerto Rican sounds by Papo Vazquez. The hosts explore new music releases, Mexican folk bands, field recordings, Christian nationalism, music controversies, and unique interpretations of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican jazz.