K-Salaam
K-Salaam, born Kayvon Sarfehjooy in 1977, is a Producer, Turntablist, and Educator from Minneapolis, MN of Iranian-American heritage.
Career
After releasing two critically acclaimed mixtapes The Hands of Time[1] and Real DJs Do Real Things[2] he joined with Beatnick (born Nick Phillips in 1986) to form Beatnick & K-Salaam Productions. Their first album, The World Is Ours, was released on August 25, 2006[3] through their own label. The album was then re-released by VP Records / Universal as Whose World is This in 2008. Featured on this release were a number of prolific underground hip hop artists, such as: Mos Def, Dead Prez, Papoose, Saigon and Talib Kweli, and reggae artists such as Capleton, Sizzla, Luciano and Anthony B.[4][5] The music fuses reggae and hip hop, and incorporates socially conscious themes.
Beatnick & K-Salaam went on to produce more albums as well as songs for internationally acclaimed artists such as: Keane,[6] Trey Songz, K’naan, Talib Kweli, Lil Wayne, Bun B,[7] Lowkey, Sizzla, Nas, Freddie Gibbs, Buju Banton, Junior Reid, Hollywood Undead, Collie Buddz, Tech N9ne, Femi Kuti and many more. The duo traveled to Brazil and produced Emicida’s entire album, Doozicabraba e a Revolução Silenciosa, released in 2011, resulting in Emicida receiving Brazil's MTV's 2011 Artist of the Year Award.[8]
The duo also produced more songs with Emicida, as well as all of the songs on: Murs & Fashawn's album This Generation (2012),[9] Rael's Ainda Bem Que Eu Segui as Batidas do Meu Coração, and Smif-n-Wessun’s Born and Raised (2013). Moreover, from 2011 - 2013, the duo did sound design for Lauryn Hill.[10] - Creating custom made synth sounds & samples for the keyboard player & Drummer for her live shows.
In 2016, the duo went on to score music for NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games.[11] Their music has been featured in multiple video games, TV shows, & commercials.
K-Salaam's production skills and expertise are sought after by music professionals throughout the world, in which he has taught at various Vice TV music production seminars in Brazil, & New York's Scratch Academy. He also taught at the Inst. of Audio Research for 4 years, before the school shut down, and he teaches his own customized course “The Virtual Producer” every Summer at NYU's
Clive Davis School of Recorded Music in New York City.[12] K-Salaam also teaches and co-runs a Music Production & Audio Engineer Program (MTD) at Douglas College in Vancouver, BC.
References
Footnotes
- "REVIEW: K-Salaam – The Hands of Time". altrap.com. 2005-11-08.
- "DJ K-Salaam: "Real DJ's Do Real Things"". urbansmarts.com.
- Zisook, Brian "Z". "K-Salaam's The World Is Ours Drops July 11th". DJBooth. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- "Whose World Is This?". allmusic.com.
- "K-Salaam & Beatnick: Whose World Is This?". citypages.com. 2008-07-30. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- "Beatnick & K-Salaam -> Keane Album debuts at #3 in U.S., #1 in U.K. on iTunes". hangout.altsounds.com. 2010-05-13. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- "Premiere: Beatnick & K-Salaam, Bun B, and Adi Armour "Keep It 100" in New Video". Complex. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- "Emicida, The "Jay Z of Brazil" Debuts A New Music Video". thecreatorsproject.vice.com. 2011-11-17.
- "Murs & Fashawn, This Generation". xxlmag.com. 2012-09-27.
- "Producer, K-Salaam Talks Working W/ Lauryn Hill ; Producing For Olympics ; Project With Junior Reed". Thisis50. 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- Edwards, Kamylle (2017-09-11). "From childhood inspirations to scoring the Olympics, K-Salaam and Beatnick revisit past to prep for new EP". REVOLT. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- "Building The Beat: from the Creation to the Hustle w. K-Salaam". tisch.nyu.edu. 2014-03-07. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-04-15.