Super-producer Kenny Beats gathered some of his most talented friends in the NPR offices for the latest edition of the Tiny Desk concert series. Beats performed three songs from his recently released album Louie, a 17-track instrumental album centered around the producer’s extensive musical palette. For his Tiny Desk concert, Beats brought in the likes of Remi Wolf, JPEGMAFIA, and Nami for vocal assistance while Leon Michaels delivered melodies as part of the small horn section, all with the ringleader of it all sitting confidently behind a drum kit.
Kenny Beats has an infectious energy and it’s on full display through his music. Louie was a landmark release in the year of 2022 and garnered wide critical acclaim upon its release (Glide being one of those sites praising the album). The entire performance had a sense of gratitude centered around, Kenny Beats seems overwhelmed by the opportunity to share his music in this capacity, his nerves unaffected by his enthusiasm as he led his all-star band through three highlights from Louie.
They kicked things off with the JPEGMAFIA-assisted “Still”, his vocals gave the band’s relaxed melodies a frenetic energy. They then transitioned into “Last Words”, but not before Kenny Beats shared a moment with the audience as he encouraged the listener to think about a loved one before the band dives into the next song. Remi Wolf’s vocals have an innocence to them, her gentle delivery paired beautifully with the smoothness of the arrangement. Kenny then introduced the vocalist Nami, an unfamiliar face to most but his work during this short set has made him a face we won’t forget. His falsetto glides over a ripping bass line and menacing horn melodies as Nami stands confident, unaffected by the lights and cameras during his beautiful performance.
You can watch Kenny Beats’ full Tiny Desk concert below:
