There

aren’t  many who would argue that TDE is the top record label in the game right now. The label is filled with talented artists lead by Kendrick Lamar, who has cemented his status as the best rapper alive following the release of his latest project DAMN. TDE is riding the wave of DAMN; which still as of to date, the best performing hip-hop project of 2017, and the success of SZA’s breakout year. Although TDE’s artists are all very talented in their own right, much of the label’s artistic success can also be credited to the guy behind the scenes, Sounwave. As the label’s in house producer, Sounwave has worked with and crafted hits for every artist within the label from Schoolboy Q to Isaiah Rashad.

However he’s most recognized for his work with Kendrick. Sounwave has been very instrumental in helping to create Kendrick’s sound. Sounwave is a grammy winning producer because of the work he put in on the classic To Pimp A Butterfly. Even before that, before Kendrick inked a major label deal, Sounwave handled most of the production himself on Kendrick’s breakout independent album “Section 80”. And although Good Kid, M.A.A.D City had multiple producers including sounwave, his ability to execute Lamar’s vision, piecing together a cohesive project with all the various elements, illustrated the chemistry between the two. This type of creative directing eventually lead to Sounwave to also serve as A&R for the label, overseeing the creation of projects.  A role he’s been doing quite well at.

The Future looks bright for Sounwave and the TDE family, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. I’m just waiting for an official Black Hippy album, with Sounwave on the boards. Is that too much too ask??

-DJ Chalant