Kaytranada - 99.9%

Kaytranada
99.9%
2016
Spotify

There is a branch of Hip Hop and R&B music that is taking a turn which for decades has been a pretty solidified formula. The singers sang, the rappers rapped and occasionally the two would get a bit mixed up. However that script has been flipped with the likes of Kanye West and Anderson .paak bringing in the sounds of House and Psychedelia to push these songs further than they otherwise could have gone. The same can be said for Montreal based producer Kaytranada. The borders that separated music are breaking down, and one song does not HAVE to be one thing or the other. It can shift and move depending on where the wind takes it. Kaytranada not only banks on this but thrives in it. His palate is so diverse, along the same lines as Anderson .paak who features on this record, that you don't feel like you are hearing something totally new even though it really is. His music is comfortable it just slides into your life, sets up shop there and never leaves. Unlike .paak Kaytranada's approach is more dance oriented. The House comes through almost immediately changing what could be a pretty pedestrian R&B song like "GOT IT GOOD" into a really specail track. Kaytranada does not shy away from letting his features shine either, each track with a guest let's them be fully on display at their absolute best.

AlunaGeorge, GoldLink, Craig David, Anderson .paak and Vic Mensa are a few of the folks who feature on the record, and instead of feeling like a star is being brought in to punch up a weak track these people are here to participate in something with Kaytranada.  IT is hard to imagine these beats coming out of a shared basement bedroom, but that is where many of these massive ideas came from. The music however is more passive than you would imagine. Instead of forcing himself on to the listener Kaytranada let's the music be discovered on it's own. This shows both great confidence in the product but also perhaps a desire to sit behind the scenes and tinker as the other acts bask in the limelight. Then we get to "GLOWED UP" featuring Anderson .paak, and this is one of those songs that you know is an instant classic. There is so much going on with this track that it is hard to figure out where to start. There is Anderson's kooky flow rap style and the beat that edges on trap, but almost just to mock it, and the beat which moves from hard to beautiful seamlessly. It is a really special track on an album really full of them. When the vocals disappear Kaytranada is able to take more risks and explore more which lead to tracks like "TRACK UNO" which flat out refuses to just be one thing. 99.9% may go down of the beginning of something, or perhaps an end but for now we get a look at this beautiful piece of music that simply must be enjoyed.

9.0 out of 10