Los Angeles-based producer Brian “Killah B” Bates didn’t know his music, “Texas Maintain ‘Em,” can be the breakout hit from Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning nation album Cowboy Carter. He was simply honored to be included on the challenge, and he says he’s nonetheless processing all of it.
Earlier than changing into a beatmaker-turned-producer, Bates and his brother lived with their grandparents in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood. He grew up in drum and piano classes, receiving classical coaching from the ages of 6 to 14. The household later moved to New Mexico the place he performed drums in a church band, however he nonetheless credit a lot of his versatility to his Chicago roots.
“Whenever you dwell on the coast, you persist with this one sound,” he stated. “However I really feel prefer it’s one thing particular about being in the course of the nation. We get all of the influences, put it within the pot, stir it, and we’re ready to take action many various issues.”
Bates has dabbled in hip-hop, R&B and rock all through his skilled profession, pivoting to nation for Cowboy Carter. The producer stated he plans to stay with nation music, noting he hopes to open doorways for future Black nation artists.
“I’ve been desirous to be an instance to my group and to different younger Black individuals that you just don’t have to only persist with only one [genre],” he stated. “You really may make historical past doing one thing that the world doesn’t anticipate you to do. That’s what I symbolize.”
The producer isn’t the starstruck kind; he’s secured credit with Ariana Grande, Usher, Summer season Walker, Chris Brown and Tinashe. However Cowboy Carter introduced a special sort of pleasure — from witnessing the shock drop of his single throughout the 2024 Tremendous Bowl to assembly Beyoncé and taking house two awards on the 67th annual Grammys earlier this month.
“Rising up in Chicago … I used to dream about stuff like this, strolling down the road on the South Facet,” he stated.
The producer spoke to Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez about his Chicago upbringing and the origin of “Texas Maintain ‘Em.” This interview was frivolously edited and condensed for readability.
Nudia Hernandez: How’s it really feel, simply one other Grammy in your shelf?
Killah B: Actually, it feels superb. To be part of historical past on this second is spectacular and an honor. It’s loopy to have my title Googled subsequent to someone so nice — the queen, the Michael Jackson of our time. It’s magnificent. And rising up in Chicago, on the South Facet, I used to dream about stuff like this, strolling down the road on the South Facet. Now that I’m right here, the Lord is being trustworthy and open up doorways for me. I’m simply blissful to be right here and be capable of open up different doorways for artists like Shaboozey and Tanner Adell and different Black nation artists that actually didn’t have a voice at first.
Are you planning to remain in nation music?
I’m positively by no means leaving nation [music]. Clearly, nation has blessed me to make historical past. I like nation music — I like the tales, the chords, I like the bluegrass really feel. However I’m additionally doing a number of issues; I’m doing rock, basic rock, people, all the time doing hip-hop and R&B. However my factor was to step outdoors of the norm, particularly for Black tradition. We are likely to get boxed into solely hip-hop and R&B.
A variety of these different genres had been created by us, that had been stolen from us. Identical to in different sectors of life, innovations had been stolen, and music was stolen from us. I’ve been desirous to be an instance to my group and to different younger Black individuals that you just don’t have to only persist with only one [genre]. You may do hip-hop and R&B and really feel good, however we did this over right here, too, and also you really may make historical past doing one thing that the world doesn’t anticipate you to do. That’s what I symbolize.
Being from Chicago, individuals most likely anticipated just one lane from you, proper?
Proper. Folks all the time take a look at you and anticipate sure issues and attempt to field you in. However I additionally really feel like that creates a narrative. It creates a hurdle so that you can soar over, and relatability comes from that hurdle. Being relatable to individuals and with the ability to encourage individuals by way of my music can be a blessing.
You’ve labored with a number of the greatest names in music: Ariana Grande, Usher, Chris Brown, Summer season Walker, Jason Derulo. However you then say Beyoncé, and that’s only a completely different stage. How did this occur, co-writing and producing “Texas Maintain ‘Em?”
It’s a mix of God assembly me midway, after which my ingenuity on Earth. Me and my pals, we simply acquired within the room. We had been consuming José Cuervo and simply having enjoyable. All of us determined to only do one thing completely different all of us haven’t completed. We had been simply messing round with some nation concepts. I used to be about to depart the studio after that, as a result of I used to be drained, and one among my co-writers, Lowell, I like her to demise. She pushed the José Cuervo bottle in my chest and stated, ‘No, you’re staying proper right here.’ We ended up doing “Texas Maintain ‘Em.”
We began structuring the guitar chords. We did the claps, the whistles. I acquired underneath my headphones and completed the manufacturing. After which acquired up from underneath my headphones and helped them write, did some extra manufacturing, and we had the thought. We despatched it over to Bey’s crew. Shoutout to Mariel Gomez, Beyoncé’s A&R, she despatched it to Bey, and Beyoncé simply had all these superb concepts of what she wished so as to add and the way she wished to only amplify the file. As I’ve stated in quite a few interviews, she “Beyoncified” the file.
I can think about the entire course of may need been emotional, after which seeing the only achieve this nicely. When she did the Christmas NFL efficiency, did you tear up somewhat bit when she was flying within the sky doing her “Texas Maintain ‘Em” riffs?
Man, I didn’t tear up proper at that second. I did perhaps a pair days after, however I positively was blown away. The efficiency was magnificent. Even when “Texas Maintain ‘Em” dropped in that business [during the 2024 Super Bowl], the advertising and marketing that she had behind it. Once we really closed out the enterprise on the file, I used to be assuming the music was popping out, perhaps three months from the time we signed the paperwork.
Really, I used to be sitting again watching the Chiefs play, not even interested by the music, simply blissful that I knew it was lastly popping out. I wasn’t certain if it was going to be a single. I used to be simply blissful that I had a music with Beyoncé on the time. And her business pops up on TV, and I’m like, “Oh, go determine! I simply closed paperwork out on a music along with her. That’s loopy. That is dope.” I’m speaking to my boy, like, “Oh yeah, they’re gearing as much as drop the album as a result of, look, she’s acquired a business.” Not even realizing that she’s gearing as much as drop my music in 5 seconds.
After the business was completed, she stated, “Drop that,” and like 4 of our telephones, in my place in LA simply stated, “Ding!” I picked my cellphone up, opened it, and it’s Beyoncé’s web page. I look, and it says, “Texas Maintain ‘Em.” I’m like, “Yo, what the … what? She simply dropped the only.” And I screamed. I screamed. It was loopy. I’m nonetheless taking that second, all these moments. I’m nonetheless pinching myself simply digesting what occurred, whilst I let you know the story now, I’m nonetheless like, “Wow.”
your upbringing, you had been primarily raised by your grandfather, proper? He was a jazz musician in Chicago.
Completely.
You credit score him for saving you and your brother from changing into a product of your atmosphere. You turned classically skilled at a younger age, proper?
At the moment, we acquired adopted to my grandparents, and it was the Lord’s will for that to occur. They grew up within the Ickes Initiatives in Chicago, and so they pulled themselves up and constructed a pleasant life. They wished to introduce me and my brother to some class, as a result of we had been Chicago unhealthy, for certain.
They’d me in chess, they stored me in church. I ended up enjoying drums for the church. They positively pressured a number of nice habits on us. My grandfather noticed music means in me from the time I used to be six, so he wished to develop that and be sure that I had a method out of being interested in road stuff and detrimental stuff that actually wasn’t meant for me and my full journey. It labored out, being classically skilled led me to changing into a beat-maker first, which led me to change into a producer.
How proud is your loved ones, man?
They’re tremendous proud. They will’t consider that one among us has made it this far, to the purpose that we’re on prime of the world. However on the identical time, music has all the time been on each side of my household. My grandfather used to play with a number of the well-known jazz musicians in Chicago. My mom’s facet of the household had been the Kelly Brothers in Chicago, the well-known gospel group. They did some superb issues in Chicago. As I acquired older, I discovered that music was closely deep-rooted in my blood from each side of my household.
What can be your recommendation to Chicago musicians or producers or songwriters which can be listening?
As a result of we’re from Chicago, we’re not coastal, we’re not locked into one sound. I all the time felt like, as a result of I used to be raised in such an incredible metropolis, we acquired sounds from the south, from the east, from the west. I used to be in a position to mix all these completely different sounds. Whenever you dwell on the coast, you persist with this one sound, you’re rooting for this one sound, and that’s their id. I like that, too. However I really feel prefer it’s one thing particular about being in the course of the nation and the place we’re, as a result of we get all of the influences, put it within the pot, stir it, and we’re ready to take action many various issues.
I really feel like my versatility got here from dwelling in Chicago, as a result of there’s so many various cultures in a single metropolis. You bought dance, you bought people in Chicago, after all, you bought hip-hop and R&B. You bought so many various neighborhoods, and while you journey by way of town and make pals from completely different locations, completely different backgrounds, that stuff helps you creatively. Even the seasons altering. I’m in LA, and it’s all the time sunny, however rising up in Chicago, the completely different seasons provide you with a special perspective, creatively, that you could pull from. Even your type of costume modified with the season, in order that interprets into making music. That’s why Chicago is such a particular place.
I’d inform somebody that’s younger, rising up, doing music, to be relentless. Don’t simply keep in Chicago, transfer round — transfer round within the metropolis — and do completely different kinds of music. Don’t persist with only one factor. Should you’re doing hip-hop, grasp hip-hop and R&B first, after which when you get good at that, go to one thing else and be a chameleon. I really feel like Chicago individuals are nice chameleons. We’re well-balanced individuals.
What’s subsequent for you?
I’ve been working with Ty [Dolla $ign]. He’s doing two albums. We’re attempting to determine if I’m gonna be on this primary one he’s gonna drop. I’ve been working with The Recreation – heavy on his album. Additionally been engaged on with Kane Brown, I really put him and Ty Dolla on the file we’re closing out proper now. I’m in talks working with this lady named Dasha that’s signed to Warner. She’s actually superb, a rustic pop lady. I’m at present engaged on B’s subsequent challenge, and some others.
What are the small print on the B’s subsequent challenge? What’s that?
It’s gonna be superb!
Morgan Ciocca is the digital producer for Vocalo.
Nudia Hernandez is the host and producer of Nudia Within the Afternoons on Vocalo. Comply with her @nudiaonair.
Corrected: This story was up to date to appropriate a reference to a musician.
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