Acclaimed producer/writer/sample maker King Wizard has gone from strength to strength in 2021. His recent streak of wins makes it easy to see why he’s frequently seen wearing his trademark tongue-in-cheek crown.
The latest addition to King Wizard’s swiftly growing credit list is a true legend of the rap game – Wiz Khalifa. This hip-hop titan, best known for global smash hits including Black And Yellow and the fourth most viewed music video of all time See You Again, was spotted this week on Instagram recording an absolute banger over Wizard’s trademark big soulful production. With stunning guitar work from Tony Carvalho and perfectly hitting drums from recent Underdog Music signee Whitlock Beats, the record swells with soul drenched charisma as Wiz Khalifa releases his trademark direct lyricism. All this is complemented by great additional vocals from fellow Taylor Gang legend Chevy Woods. You can hear a clip of the forthcoming release on King Wizards instagram (@iamkingwizard)
This follows high profile cuts with artists including Lil Uzi Vert, Money Man, Marmar Oso, Epic Record’s Raw Youngin, Universal Music’s Phi11a, Gucci Mane signed Lil Quil, and a whole host of other huge as-yet-unannounced releases. Backed by perhaps the hardest working man in showbusiness today, manager and network builder extraordinair Oliver ‘Big Papa’ Harvey, Wizard’s streak of major cuts shows no sign of slowing down.
King Wizard’s sound is immediately recognizable but somehow difficult to pin down. Live instruments often play a significant role – King Wizard is said to play over a dozen instruments. (This helps to explain why he is regularly described as a genius by press and colleagues alike). There are also strong traditional trap ellements to Wizard’s sound, including dark synths, bouncy and simple elements. From track to track, the sound can vary from sparring bare instrumentation to massive orchestral arrangements with multiple live and synthesised elements. This is one of King Wizard’s primary strengths as a producer – he keeps you guessing, with each record having a different vibe to the last, whilst retaining Wizard’s unmistakable fingerprint.
Other major players in Wizard’s career include Atlanta based A&R/manager Wade Burnside, head of Expensive Global and founder of the Executive Group, an intriguing society of A&Rs, managers, publishers and other music industry movers and shakers. Alongside Big Papa, the tentacles of this organisation are said to reach almost every corner of the music industry.
As well as making hits himself, King Wizard co-manages Underdog Music’s roster of up-and-coming and established talent, including Whitlock Beats, new signee Topski, Alderman, Southpaw, Parallax and others. The full roster and scope of Underdog Music’s operations can be seen via their website www.UnderdogMusic.com
