After a three-year wait mitigated by a double-sided single among other loose releases, the Canadian-bred producer Kaytranada touched down in December with his sophomore effort, Bubba. The seventeen-track album boasted appearances from Kali Uchis, Goldlink, Tinashe, Pharrell Williams, Masego and more, and found him receiving a similar level of praise that came his way after the release of his debut album, 99.9%.
Sitting with GQ, Kaytranada opened up about his artistry, collaborations, and personal struggles in his career. A highlight moment of the interview sees Kaytranada discussing his “Midsection” collaboration with Pharrell Williams.
“We made a beat and he’s like, “Yo, put me in the studio!” and he was singing all this stuff. And you know Pharrell—he’s a chameleon. He’s put himself in everybody’s world. And he kind of put himself in my world” he said. “He’s very quick. I wish I could be quick like him, ‘cause that’s how successful sessions happen. Me, I’m so not quick. I always take my sweet time.”
Next, Kaytranada was asked if he had turned down a possible collaboration with an artist for fear that it wouldn’t work. He replied that there were a number of artists he believed “wouldn’t have made sense” and when asked for an example, his answer was a bit surprising.
“Dr. Dre wanted to meet me and play beats and, I didn’t think I had the beats to play, and I was just like, ‘You know what? Nevermind. Maybe next time,'” he said. “And I kind of regret it today.”
He also opened up about his shyness and preference to be a loner within his music and his appreciation for other gay musicians in the music industry.
[via GQ]
