Exclusive Interview

Feb 24, 2025

Produced by: Rudy Manager

Edited by: Rudy Manager & Andrej Aroch

knd – “I don’t really chase placements—I just like creating and having fun with music”

Producer knd opens up about his journey from humble beginnings to working with stars like Drake and Doechii. He shares insights into his creative process, major placements, and the evolving landscape of music production.

In this exclusive Studio Talks interview, we sit down with the talented producer knd, who has been making waves in the music industry with his distinctive sound. Known for his work with artists like Drake on the track “7am on Bridle Path” and Doechii on her Grammy-nominated project Alligator Bites Never Heal, knd has quickly established himself as a rising star in the industry. In this conversation, he shares insights into his creative journey, the process behind his major placements, his approach to working with artists, and his perspective on the evolution of music production. From humble beginnings to collaborations with industry giants, this interview offers a deep dive into what drives knd’s passion for music and his future aspirations. This interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on February 10, 2025.

Can you share how you first got interested in music?

I was basically born into church. My dad is a gospel artist here in Germany, and in the church, where I grew up, music was always present. Every Saturday, I would go to rehearsals, concerts, or weddings. So I grew up surrounded by music—it was always around me. That really inspired me, especially gospel and church-type music. That’s basically how I got into making music.

Do you remember a specific moment when you decided to start producing music, or did it come naturally?

That actually started back in elementary school. I remember buying a random cheap mic in 2015 for 30 or 40 euros. I’d go to school and ask people, “Hey, give me five or six words,” and they’d give me some. Then I’d go home and make a song out of those words as a challenge for myself. I wasn’t trying to be an artist—it was just fun for me to make music.

Then in 2017, I realized, “Yo, I kind of like this,” because I was already making beats by myself—not anything serious, but I was having fun. Around that time, I decided, “Okay, yeah, I think I really want to be a producer and make music.” So I started recording people in my city—some rappers who wanted to make music. Since there were no studios in my small town, they’d come to my place, and we’d record. I charged them a little money, and that’s how I saved up enough to buy the equipment I needed—speakers, a Focusrite interface, and the basic setup. That was basically the start of me taking this seriously.

Can you recall some of the artists you started working with at that time?

To be honest, I don’t think most of them even make music anymore. There’s just one guy who’s actually blowing up right now in my city—his name is THIZZY52. It’s so funny because back then, he wasn’t even taking it seriously when he came here. We were just friends hanging out. My friends would pull up, and I’d say, “Okay guys, let’s just hang out and make music for fun.”

He came over one time, and we made a fun song together. Now, he’s taking music seriously, and he’s blowing up. It’s crazy, and I’m really happy for him. We’re still cool.

What was your approach to improving your music when you were starting out? Did you attend school, or were you mainly self-taught, or did you have a mentor?

The process was very interesting. That was back in 2017, around October. That’s also when I changed my Instagram to look more like a producer page. Around that time, I hit up a good friend of mine—he’s like a real brother to me. His name is Agajon, and he lives in Hamburg. He had started a little collective called Young Generation to network with other cool producers and artists.

I don’t think he even knew that I had just started, but he was already really, really good. He has a crazy sound and is super talented. Over time, he became my mentor because he was already signed and had access to studios, management, and that whole environment. He really helped me with a lot of stuff, and that was really cool.

Everything else, I learned on my own. I never went to school for music. I basically learned everything from church or by teaching myself. I also started reproducing beats I found on YouTube. Since I was hosting sessions for people in my city, I’d recreate beats for them. That’s how I think I got better—by learning the elements of production through practice.

After working with producers at the collective, how did you land your first major placement, and what’s the story behind it?

I think my first major placement was with a German artist called Data Luv. It was pretty random—I did the “Outro.” The whole process was a bit hectic, honestly. That was the first major thing I worked on. It was also the first time I made some real money from a placement.

What’s your creative process like right now? Do you treat music like a nine-to-five, or do you always start the same way? Do you listen to music to get into the zone, or do you have another approach?

I love music so much. I love worship, I love gospel, and I love God. I go to church every Sunday, and that’s a big influence for me. Honestly, my process is pretty simple—I’ll just go on Spotify, search for some underground artists, and then use the radio feature. It shows me random songs and other artists that I might like. That’s how I discover new artists, songs, and sounds. It keeps me inspired.

How do you approach starting a composition from scratch? What elements do you begin with, and how do you build from it?

To be honest, I just do what I feel like doing. I grab my guitar or keys and mess around, or I might flip some samples I find on YouTube or elsewhere. Sometimes I recreate ideas from other people, too. It’s interesting because even when I recreate something, it often leads me to a completely different idea by the end of the process.

For example, I might get inspired by a chord progression and think, “Okay, let me try this chord,” but then I’ll change the second one or flip it into something totally different. That’s my approach—I just experiment. I’ve realized I tend to start with keys or guitar and then just mess around from there.

What do you think makes a great hip-hop/rap sample?

Definitely the swing. If I don’t hear swing or emotion in a sample, it’s just not for me. I love the imperfection of sampling records. I love when some things aren’t perfect, like when a chord makes you think, “Wait, is this right or not?” That kind of imperfection makes it special. I also love ear candy—the little details that just make you feel good when you hear it.

Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to lately? Any upcoming names you’d like to share?

I love CARI from the UK—she’s insane. I met her last year around this time, actually. She’s an amazing artist, and I love her voice so much. I also love Xenia Manasseh; she lives in LA and is super talented. Sasha Keable is another one—she’s blowing up right now, and she’s incredible. These are the artists I really enjoy and get excited about when they drop new stuff.

After working with producers at the collective, how did you land your first major placement, and what’s the story behind it?

What’s your creative process like right now? Do you treat music like a nine-to-five, or do you always start the same way? Do you listen to music to get into the zone, or do you have another approach?

How do you approach starting a composition from scratch? What elements do you begin with, and how do you build from it?

What do you think makes a great hip-hop/rap sample?

Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to lately? Any upcoming names you’d like to share?

After working with producers at the collective, how did you land your first major placement, and what’s the story behind it?

What’s your creative process like right now? Do you treat music like a nine-to-five, or do you always start the same way? Do you listen to music to get into the zone, or do you have another approach?

How do you approach starting a composition from scratch? What elements do you begin with, and how do you build from it?

What do you think makes a great hip-hop/rap sample?

Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to lately? Any upcoming names you’d like to share?

Can you share the story behind how “7am on Bridle Path” for Drake came about from your perspective?

That was a crazy time. It was back in 2021, right after I graduated from high school. Everyone in my school was like, “Okay, I’m done with high school, now straight to college.” But for me, I wanted to take a gap year to see what it’s like to make music full-time for a year. So yeah, I was 19, in my gap year, just locked in and working with people.

That’s when my guy Daniel Deleyto connected me to Dez Wright. We got connected, and I started sending him stuff regularly—like whenever I had something, I’d send it to him. The loop I made for “7am on Bridle Path” took me about 15 minutes—it was super quick and simple. I even called the loop “Grammys.”

After I sent it to him, I didn’t hear back for a few months, maybe four or five. Then he finally reached out and said, “Yo, we’ve got a big placement.” But he didn’t tell me the name at first. I kept asking, like, “Bro, just send me the name!” A couple of days later, he told me it was for Drake’s album Certified Lover Boy.

At the time, Drake and Kanye were in a huge beef, and Drake was already teasing the album, but no one knew when it would drop. When it finally did, and I heard the lyrics, I was like, “Wow, I’m even on a Kanye diss track. This is crazy!” That whole experience was wild.

Do you remember the moment when you received the message that you’d be on the album?

I was out with a friend, just hanging out with someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. Then he texted me—we don’t text daily. Usually, I just send him stuff, and he’ll reply with “Fire” or “Cool,” or sometimes he’ll ask if he needs something specific. But it had been a while since we talked.

So when he texted me, I immediately knew something was up. I was like, “Okay, I think this is a good sign.” I had a really good feeling about it. And yeah, that was it.

You mentioned church as an influence, but are there other sources of inspiration or influences you draw from in your music production?

Ghanaian music is also a big inspiration for me. I’m from Ghana, so we have a lot of African sounds, nostalgic textures, and unique instruments. That really inspires me a lot. Also, just listening to music or even talking to my friends—it’s easy for me to get inspired, to be honest.

What do you think about AI in music production?

I think AI can definitely be cool. The results can sometimes be really good or even useful as a starting point. But I’ve realized AI just isn’t for me. I’ve never sent out an AI-generated sample because it doesn’t feel right to me.

I’ve tried it out to see if it’s good or not, and honestly, it’s crazy how good some of the results can be—it’s actually scary. But I feel like if you always rely on AI to create, you might get lazy. Personally, I enjoy the process of creating sonics myself, and I don’t think AI can replace that feeling.

I don’t really chase placements—I just like creating and having fun with music. If I were to use AI in my process, I feel like I’d have less fun because a big part of the joy for me is knowing that I made something myself. It’s not just about starting from scratch—it’s about flipping something and making it unique.

Can you share the story behind creating “PROFIT” for Doechii’s Grammy-nominated album Alligator Bites Never Heal?

I remember it well because it was just about a year ago when I made the melody. It’s crazy because I got this insane vocal chop from my boy Kid Soul. He’s also an artist from Germany, and you should definitely check him out—he’s incredible.

I chopped up the vocal, added some elements to it, and flipped it into something new. Mike Hector and I always work together—we’ve got tons of beats. We actually connected on Twitter many years ago and have been making beats ever since.

So, Doechii hit up Mike and asked if he had any rap beats. Mike sent over a pack of beats, and that’s how “PROFIT” came to be—it was one of the beats we had worked on together.

Is there any specific production of yours that holds a special place in your heart?

I think it’s Doechii’s record. It’s just crazy because… I love my work with Drake, of course—it’s amazing, and I love that song so much. Drake is already a huge artist, so it’s clear that song was going to blow up, no doubt. But with Doechii, I’d been listening to her for years. When I heard we had a song with her, I thought, “Okay, this is crazy.” I was so hyped.

When I heard the song, I knew it was special. And then when the project dropped, I was like, “Okay, fire, nice,” but since then, it’s been incredible to watch how the whole project grew so naturally. It’s all because of who she is and the combination of her talent, great marketing, and everything else that happened. She just blew up.

I remember taking a screenshot when I got the placement. She had around 600,000 followers on Instagram at that time, and now she’s over three million. That’s just insane. To know that I got a placement on that project, won a Billboard award in a category, and got a Grammy for it—plus, the project is definitely going to go gold—it’s just really special to me.

Coming from a small city in Germany, what advice would you give to up-and-coming producers who are starting out but aren’t in the typical music hubs like LA, Atlanta, or New York? How can they build their careers and connect with established artists?

I’d say just keep creating and don’t get lazy. Keep making music, and don’t force things. Focus on sending out good work. Sometimes I’ll send packs with just five samples or even two, and that’s totally fine because I know those samples are really good, and I like them. I don’t send them to a bunch of people, either—I usually just send to 10 to 15 people.

Building relationships with the people you work with is so important. I’m not the type to just send stuff out to everyone.

It’s also important to make sure your Instagram looks nice. Don’t be mysterious. Personally, I don’t want to be mysterious; I just want to be open and share what I do. Of course, you should be professional, learn the business side, and surround yourself with the right people—managers, attorneys, A&Rs, and others in the industry.

Keeping good relationships with everyone and staying professional is key. And don’t forget to be patient. A lot of things take time. Placements don’t happen overnight. So, just be patient, keep working hard, and if your work is good and you’re sending it to the right people while building those relationships, everything will fall into place.

That’s great advice because many upcoming producers sound robotic by sending the same “copy-paste” messages to everyone.

Exactly. Personally, every time I reach out to my people—because we’ve built relationships—I’ll start with, “Yo bro, how you doing? What’s up? Let’s catch up.” I don’t just dive straight into, “Here are 10 Nardo Wick loops” or something like that. I really take the time to build those relationships.

That’s so important, especially when you eventually fly out to places like LA, Atlanta, or somewhere else and meet these people in person. It feels so much more natural because you already know each other. For example, when I met Mike in LA two years ago, it was super chill because we had already built that connection.

Where do you see yourself in five years, both career-wise and personally?

I see myself still loving the process of making music. I feel like I’ll always make music because I just love the creative aspect of it. I want to really lock in with an artist and help build or shape their sound. I want to grow with them, not just as a producer, but as a part of their journey.

In five years, I’d also like to go on tour, maybe even run the tracks or be the MD (musical director) for an artist. I don’t want to just be in the studio forever. I want to experience the music in different settings and be around what happens beyond the studio.

I want to enjoy life and, of course, thank God for everything along the way.

Follow knd on Instagram: @kidnameddavid

Exclusive Interview

knd – “I don’t really chase placements—I just like creating and having fun with music”

Can you share how you first got interested in music?

Do you remember a specific moment when you decided to start producing music, or did it come naturally?

Can you recall some of the artists you started working with at that time?

What was your approach to improving your music when you were starting out? Did you attend school, or were you mainly self-taught, or did you have a mentor?

After working with producers at the collective, how did you land your first major placement, and what’s the story behind it?

What’s your creative process like right now? Do you treat music like a nine-to-five, or do you always start the same way? Do you listen to music to get into the zone, or do you have another approach?

How do you approach starting a composition from scratch? What elements do you begin with, and how do you build from it?

What do you think makes a great hip-hop/rap sample?

Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to lately? Any upcoming names you’d like to share?

After working with producers at the collective, how did you land your first major placement, and what’s the story behind it?

What’s your creative process like right now? Do you treat music like a nine-to-five, or do you always start the same way? Do you listen to music to get into the zone, or do you have another approach?

How do you approach starting a composition from scratch? What elements do you begin with, and how do you build from it?

What do you think makes a great hip-hop/rap sample?

Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to lately? Any upcoming names you’d like to share?

After working with producers at the collective, how did you land your first major placement, and what’s the story behind it?

What’s your creative process like right now? Do you treat music like a nine-to-five, or do you always start the same way? Do you listen to music to get into the zone, or do you have another approach?

How do you approach starting a composition from scratch? What elements do you begin with, and how do you build from it?

What do you think makes a great hip-hop/rap sample?

Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to lately? Any upcoming names you’d like to share?

Can you share the story behind how “7am on Bridle Path” for Drake came about from your perspective?

Do you remember the moment when you received the message that you’d be on the album?

You mentioned church as an influence, but are there other sources of inspiration or influences you draw from in your music production?

What do you think about AI in music production?

Can you share the story behind creating “PROFIT” for Doechii’s Grammy-nominated album Alligator Bites Never Heal?

Is there any specific production of yours that holds a special place in your heart?

Coming from a small city in Germany, what advice would you give to up-and-coming producers who are starting out but aren’t in the typical music hubs like LA, Atlanta, or New York? How can they build their careers and connect with established artists?

That’s great advice because many upcoming producers sound robotic by sending the same “copy-paste” messages to everyone.

Where do you see yourself in five years, both career-wise and personally?

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