Leven Kali Simon-Seay | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1994 Netherlands |
| Genres | Neo soul[1] |
| Occupations |
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| Labels | Def Jam (2019–2021) |
Leven Kali is a Dutch-born American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work on Beyoncé's Renaissance, Drake's More Life and Playboi Carti's self titled mixtape Playboi Carti.[2]
Born into a family of musicians, Simon-Seay was conceived in the Netherlands while his father, bass guitarist Jerry "Wyzard" Seay, was on a European tour with his band Mother's Finest.[3] His family subsequently relocated to Santa Monica, California at the age of eight, where he would eventually join the music program at Crossroads High School, building a close-knit network of musicians and visual artists.[3] Upon graduation, Simon-Seay attended University of California, Riverside on an NCAA Division I golf scholarship before moving into music creation.[4][5] Simon-Seay, alongside Daniel Memmi and Solomon "Sol Was" Cole, friends he made through his Crossroads High School music program, joined forces as a production/songwriting team, subsequently co-creating Renaissance standout "Virgo's Groove".[6]
- ^ "Neo-Soul 2020: 23 Contemporary Artists Pushing the Sound Forward - Okayplayer". www.okayplayer.com. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Leven Kali is Making Soul Music for a New Generation of Listeners". June 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Leven Kali's Guide to Life". Office Magazine. October 31, 2017. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Leven Kali on His Colorful Career & 'Hi Tide' His Upcoming Project [Premiere + Interview]". Okayplayer. January 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Leven Kali Went from Master Golfer to Musician". April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Garcia, Thania (August 17, 2022). "Fine-Tuning Beyoncé's "Virgo's Groove": How Three High-School Friends Ended Up Producing a Song on 'Renaissance'". Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.