Today we’d like to introduce you to Keyon Smith.
Hi Keyon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into producing started in 2020 during the pandemic. However, my mom and dad both have ties to the music industry in some way with my dad being a hip-hop artist and my mom being a gospel singer. Music has always been an integral part of my life whether it be because of my parents or because I’m a skateboarder, which is another huge aspect of my life.
Basically, in 2020, when I made my first beat, I sent it to my dad and he made a song out of it within the first week. It was crazy because I didn’t picture it being a song but it was cool to see someone use it. After that, every time I made a beat, I sent it to my dad and he would make songs from them. Eventually, he started getting artists around Chicago and began to put together a full-length album, made entirely from my first 20ish beats. Summer 2020 hit and I was doing actual studio sessions with artists and I got to hear them put vocals over my beats live. I ended up doing songs with artists like Twista, Shawnna, GLC, and Malik Yusef, just to name a few. Everything sorta happened fast but I enjoyed the process.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The main struggle for me was coming up with new and interesting ideas for beats when I first started producing, especially since, as soon as I made a beat it was getting made into a song. I was still finding my sound as a producer so I was spending a ton of time, making 10-15 beats a day for an entire summer. It was a little stressful but I managed to have fun with it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Right now my main specializations are producing, skateboarding, graphic design, and filmmaking. I try to incorporate these in most aspects of my life simply because they make up who I am, they make up Ascendo. In terms of production and design, quality is my main focus because nobody wants to listen to trash beats and nobody wants to look at bad designs. I’m most proud of my ability to balance all of my talents and continually work on becoming better at all of them.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
In the beginning, I think the only thing that is important is consistency. Consistently working to be better at whatever you’re doing regardless of who’s seeing or hearing your work. Surrounding yourself with people who want to see you grow at your craft is also a huge help to being able to keep going and staying motivated.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theascendo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfagri6n3MXdUao_d9SSf5w
