Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenlee Kundert-Gibbs
Hi Kenlee, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in a funny way. I was about 15 yrs of age and my mother had just purchased a new car. The car had great stock speakers and I found myself wanting songs with more “Bass” to them. That’s when I decided to open up Logic Pro for the first time, not realizing it was going to shape my future. I quickly made a beat with tons of bass. It was awful, but at the time I loved it and that’s where the passion began. Fast forward to my late teens I ended up meeting some of my best friends still to this day “Nic Main & Isaac Callahan(Apoll01)” I turned this teenage dream of making beats into a real thing once I met them. I already had 3-4 years experience but never truly had use for this experience. We quickly began making songs left and right. This also shaped my career into Audio Engineering. At the time we didn’t know much about mixing but I quickly started to learn how to despite the knowledge I had. We began doing shows at house parties and then even making it into clubs in Atlanta. Thought I would add this background because this journey wouldn’t be nothing without this start.
By the time I was 21 I was pretty good at production and decent at the engineering side of things. Still doing music more as a hobby than a job though. It wasn’t until Covid that I really saw potential in my beats. I ended up working with a bunch of dope artists that ranged from unknown to widely known. One name I can give out is “Blake Yung”. He was the first big placement I got as a producer, making beats from my apartment basement. Him and I still work and have a friendly relationship to this day.
After the pandemic I moved out of Georgia but quickly headed back. I wasn’t gone very long at all. I remember thinking, “I have been making music for over 5 years, I should actually make this a career and not just a side career”. I enrolled in a music school here in Athens, Ga (Tweed Recording). It was a quick program that taught me everything I could’ve asked for. It was mainly focused around the engineering side of music. In a quick 18 weeks I learned how to record anything from Jazz and Classical Music, to Hip Hop and RnB. As my professors and I quickly realized. I was very well when it came to Hip Hop/Rnb. For example. We had one session that was supposed to be 7 hours long. I was stationed in front of the board (SSL Origin) and running Pro Tools. The session had gone by quick and even the hip hop artist was impressed by how fast I was at recording and getting everything done. We ended up finishing in 2 hours. Then it was my time to shine. He said “That’s all I have to record, does anyone have any beats?” In a split second I hit play on a pack I specifically made for him. Everyone was shocked, even the artist. We recorded 2 more songs to the beats I gave him. I can’t forget to mention that I was being very hard on myself and thinking I couldn’t do it the whole time I was enrolled so It was a very special moment for me.
After school I made an oath to myself that I wanted to only do jobs that involved music, or just being around it.
I moved into a new place with an unfinished basement and took charge and built an 8x10ft room for producing and recording. I had a little help with it of course. To this day I run recording sessions out of this room, make/sell beats.
Looking back I don’t think I ever would’ve considered music my choice of career if my mom didn’t buy that car and the great people and mentors I met along the way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a producer(Beat Maker)& Audio Engineer always has its struggles. Some days are good, some not so good. Sometimes months you find work and others you don’t. I doubt myself a lot and have had many chances where I wanted to quit, but I’m always drawn back in. Music is a worldly gift and a lot of people work in the industry these days so it’s very hard to get a foot in there. I have had many misleading opportunities like scams that were only to abuse the person rather than benefiting them. I learned that a lot when my friends and I would do shows when we were younger.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I go by the name of Zenlee (Zen)
I am an Audio Engineer, Producer, and songwriter.
Sometimes I even make and release my own projects.
I am proud at how far I have come, even if my brain loves to tell me “its not that far” 12 years is still pretty far for me.
I specialize in Hip Hop/Pop productions and recording. What I love to do is cater to a specific artist. Learn their style and make things designed for them. This is how I’ve gotten placements.
I can’t necessarily say I have something I am most proud of. I guess I can say, in doing all the business side of music I’m very glad I still love doing what I do, because that can get lost very easily.
From other producers, and engineers it really comes down to the ethic. A lot of people have great work ethic in the industry to be quite honest. I will say that when I am committed to a song or an artist, I give everything I have to make that song or persons vision come alive.
What makes you happy?
As a working standpoint, making others happy makes me happy. If I can really help a person create art to share to the world, that is the goal. It’s such an amazing process to really dive deep into a session and watch a small idea come to fruition.
Besides that I love skateboarding, supporting artists in my community, outdoor activities, concerts and chill movie nights
Pricing:
- Mixing Prices: $80(2track)/$120(Trackouts)
- Mastering: $65
- Beats: Depends on licensing but can start at as little as $10/basic license
- Recording: 40/Hr
- 2 hrs studio time + Exclusive Beat + Mixing and Mastering: $500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beatstars.com/zenlee_beats
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenlee_music/profilecard/
- Twitter: https://x.com/zenleebeatsit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zenlee_music
