American record producer and songwriter (born 1986)
Sounwave
Birth name Mark Anthony Spears Born (1986-02-28 ) February 28, 1986 (age 38)
Los Angeles, California , U.S.Origin
Compton, California , U.S. Genres Occupation(s)
Record producer
songwriter
Children 1
Years active 1999–present Labels Member of
Musical artist
Mark Anthony Spears (born February 28, 1986), known professionally as Sounwave , is an American record producer and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of rapper
Kendrick Lamar , having worked on all of his projects since his
2009 self-titled extended play . Sounwave has also worked with artists such as
Taylor Swift ,
Chloe x Halle ,
Baby Keem ,
Mac Miller , and
Bleachers . He has won three
Grammy Awards , including two for
Best Rap Album .
Early life
Sounwave was born Mark Anthony Spears on February 28, 1986, in
Los Angeles, California .
[1]
[2] His parents are
elementary school sweethearts from
Selma, Alabama , and relocated to Los Angeles in the 1970s so his father could pursue a dancing career for
Soul Train .
[3] Spears has two older brothers and was raised in
Compton .
[3] He was first inspired to pursue music after hearing the instrumentals on "
Up Jumps da Boogie " by
Timbaland . As a child, Spears used a
Korg drum machine and a karaoke machine to create music.
[4] From there, he purchased a
4-track machine and began using the
PlayStation video game
MTV Music Generator (1999) to produce songs.
[4]
Career
1999–2009: Career beginnings
Spears was discovered by
Terrance "Punch" Henderson , co-president of
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), when he was 13 years old.
[3] After meeting with rapper
Bishop Lamont , he produced a song for him using MTV Music Generator , which later received radio placement.
[4] He graduated from
Compton High School in 2005 and was gifted an
Akai MPC by his cousin; it soon became one of his primary production tools.
[4] Spears first met rapper
Kendrick Lamar in a recording studio in
Gardena, California . Lamar was silent until Spears played a spin of
Aalon 's 1977 song "Rock and Roll Gangster", which made him rush to the recording booth and rap for two minutes straight.
[3]
One year later, Spears met TDE's founder and chief executive officer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who was originally unimpressed with him. He persisted and honed his craft, which later blew him away.
[5] Spears later reconnected with Lamar and became a member of TDE's in-house production team
Digi+Phonics , alongside Tae Beast,
Dave Free and
Willie B .
[5] His earliest work for the label includes production credits on Lamar's
2009 self titled extended play and
Flo Rida 's second album
R.O.O.T.S.
[6]
[4]
2010–2014: Recognition
Spears was one of the primary producers of Lamar's final mixtape
Overly Dedicated (2010) and his debut studio album
Section.80 (2011). For his work on the latter album, he was highlighted by
Complex on their 15 New Producers to Watch list.
[7] He produced three songs on Lamar's second album
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012): "
Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe ", "
M.A.A.D. City ", and "
Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst ". As a member of Digi+Phonics, he was highlighted by Complex for a second time and earned his first
Grammy Award nomination for
Album of the Year for his work on Good Kid, M.A.A.D City .
[8]
[6] Spears also made contributions to
Schoolboy Q 's second album
Habits & Contradictions (2012),
[9]
[1] his third album
Oxymoron , and
Isaiah Rashad 's debut album
Cilvia Demo (both 2014).
[10]
[11]
2015–present: Breakthrough and other projects
Spears produced a majority of Lamar's third album
To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), which several publications have named as one of the best albums of the
2010s decade .
[12]
[13] At the
58th Annual Grammy Awards , he won
Best Rap Song for co-writing the album's fourth single "
Alright " and received a second nomination for Album of the Year.
[14] For Lamar's fourth album
Damn (2017), Spears won
Best Rap Album and picked up a third Album of the Year nomination at the
60th Annual Grammy Awards .
[15] In 2018, he co-wrote, produced, and handled
A&R for the film soundtrack
Black Panther: The Album ,
[16] and contributed to singer-songwriter
Kali Uchis ' debut album
Isolation .
[17] Black Panther: The Album received five nominations at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards , including for Album of the Year, marking the first time a soundtrack album was nominated for the honor since
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).
[18] Its lead single, "
All the Stars ", earned nominations for Best Original Song at the
Academy Awards ,
Golden Globe Awards , and
Critics' Choice Movie Awards .
[19]
[20]
[21]
In 2019, Spears contributed to singer-songwriters
Beyoncé 's soundtrack album
The Lion King: The Gift ,
Taylor Swift 's seventh album
Lover , and
Mary J. Blige 's single "
Know ".
[22]
[23]
[24] The same year, he formed the
synth-pop
supergroup
Red Hearse with musician and producer
Jack Antonoff and singer-songwriter
Sam Dew .
[25] Their self-titled debut album was released through
RCA Records .
[26] For his work as the primary producer of Lamar's fifth album
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), Spears won Best Rap Album for the second time at the
65th Annual Grammy Awards , and earned a fourth nomination for Album of the Year.
[27]
Personal life
Spears resides in
West Hills, Los Angeles with his partner, poet and songwriter Reyna Biddy, and their son, Umi.
[28]
[29]
Songwriting and production discography
Songs
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
"
All the Stars " – Kendrick Lamar,
SZA
"
Big Shot " – Kendrick Lamar,
Travis Scott
"
Black Panther " – Kendrick Lamar
"
Bloody Waters " –
Ab-Soul ,
Anderson .Paak ,
James Blake
"
I Am " –
Jorja Smith , Kendrick Lamar
"
King's Dead " –
Jay Rock , Kendrick Lamar,
Future ,
James Blake
"
Opps " – Kendrick Lamar,
Vince Staples , Yugen Blakrok
"
Paramedic! " – Kendrick Lamar,
SOB x RBE ,
Zacari
"
Seasons " –
Mozzy ,
Sjava ,
Reason
"
The Ways " – Kendrick Lamar,
Khalid ,
Swae Lee
"
X " – Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q,
2 Chainz , Saudi
2019
2020
2021
2022
2024
"Riiverdance" -
Beyoncé
"II Hands II Heaven" - Beyoncé
Albums
Awards and nominations
Notes
^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
References
^
a
b
"iStandard Producers Weigh In On XXL's 2013 Freshman Producers List" . XXL . May 1, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013 .
^
"Sounwave" . HotNewHipHop . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
a
b
c
d Weiss, Jeff (May 29, 2018).
"Sounwave, Kendrick and 'Black Panther' Producer, Makes America's Sound" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
a
b
c
d
e Noz, Andrew (December 4, 2012).
"Beat Construction: Sounwave" . The FADER . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
a
b
"Let The Beat Build – Digi-Phonics On Kendrick Lamar & Dr. Dre" . Vice . Archived from
the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2013 .
^
a
b Sutherland, Sam (March 20, 2013).
"HEAT RISING: Sounwave made his first beats using a video game, and now he's Top Dawg Entertainment family" . AUX . Archived from
the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013 .
^ Klinkenberg, Brendan (July 29, 2011).
"Sounwave — 15 New Producers To Watch Out For" . Complex . Retrieved September 1, 2013 .
^
"Digi + Phonics — 25 New Producers To Watch Out For" . Complex. Retrieved September 1, 2013 .
^ Breihan, Tom (January 17, 2012).
"Album Of The Week: Schoolboy Q Habits & Contradictions" . Stereogum . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Petridis, Alexis (February 27, 2014).
"Schoolboy Q: Oxymoron review – not quite competition for Kendrick Lamar" . The Guardian .
ISSN
0261-3077 . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Pearce, Sheldon (February 4, 2014).
"Isaiah Rashad Delivers Classic Southern Stylings On 'Cilvia Demo' " . XXL . Archived from
the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Monroe, Jazz (December 22, 2020).
"The 50 best albums of the last decade" . The Independent . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Cridlin, Jay (December 26, 2019).
"The 10 best albums of the 2010s: Kanye, Kendrick, Beyonce and more" . Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Rys, Dan (February 16, 2016).
"Kendrick Lamar Makes a Big Statement, Taylor Swift Wins Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammys" . Billboard . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Rys, Dan (January 29, 2018).
"Kendrick Lamar Wins Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammys, Says 'JAY-Z For President' On Stage" . Billboard . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Wood, Mikael (January 31, 2019).
"Kendrick Lamar's secret weapon? His right-hand man, 'Black Panther' soundtrack producer Sounwave" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Hughes, Kayleigh (April 11, 2018).
"Album Review: Kali Uchis Joins the Neo-Soul Pantheon with Isolation" . Consequence of Sound . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Real, Evan (December 7, 2018).
"Grammys: 'Black Panther' Scores First Album of the Year Soundtrack Nod Since 2000" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"Oscar Nominations 2019: The Complete List" . Variety . January 22, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"Golden Globes 2019 nominations: the full list" . The Guardian . December 6, 2018.
ISSN
0261-3077 . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Nordyke, Kimberly (December 10, 2018).
"Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Favourite' Leads With 14 Nominations" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Amorosi, A. D. (July 19, 2019).
"Album Review: Beyoncé's 'The Lion King: The Gift' " . Variety . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (August 23, 2019).
" 'Lover' is pure Taylor Swift, at her most content and confident" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Shaffer, Claire (August 8, 2019).
"Mary J. Blige Pays Tribute to Women's Sacrifices in New Single 'Know' " . Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Ramli, Sofiana (June 27, 2019).
"Red Hearse, Jack Antonoff's new band with Sam Dew and Sounwave, debut with two songs" . NME . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Nardino, Meredith (August 29, 2019).
"Review: Red Hearse Debut Their Genre-Defying Self-Titled Record" . Atwood Magazine . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Draughorne, Kenan (February 6, 2023).
"Kendrick Lamar wins best rap album at 2023 Grammys" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Alexis, Diamond (February 1, 2017).
"Meet Reyna Biddy, the Poet Who Kicks Off Kehlani's 'SweetSexySavage' " . BET . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"House Music | Mark "Sounwave" Spears" . LA Home . March 1, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Whitten, Sarah (February 25, 2019).
"Oscars 2019: The complete list of winners for the 91st Academy Awards" . CNBC . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"Grammy Awards 2014: The Complete Winners List" . Rolling Stone . January 27, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"Grammy Awards: Complete Winners List" . Variety . February 15, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Nevins, Jake (January 29, 2018).
"Grammy awards 2018: full list of winners" . The Guardian .
ISSN
0261-3077 . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Atkinson, Katie (February 10, 2019).
"Grammys 2019 Winners: The Complete List" . Billboard . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Zhan, Jennifer (February 5, 2023).
"The 2023 Grammy Award Winners" . Vulture . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"The complete list of winners and nominees for the 2019 Golden Globes" .
Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^
"2019 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards: Complete Winners List" . The Hollywood Reporter . February 13, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
^ Xu, Linda (October 17, 2018).
" 'A Star Is Born,' 'Black Panther' Lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominees" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 19, 2023 .
External links
Awards for Sounwave
2000s 2010s
"
Empire State of Mind " –
Shawn Carter ,
Angela Hunte ,
Alicia Keys , Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic &
Alexander Shuckburgh (songwriters) (2010)
"
All of the Lights " –
Jeff Bhasker ,
Stacy Ferguson ,
Malik Jones ,
Warren Trotter &
Kanye West (songwriters) (2011)
"
Niggas in Paris " –
Shawn Carter ,
Mike Dean ,
Chauncey Hollis &
Kanye West (songwriters) (2012)
"
Thrift Shop " –
Ben Haggerty &
Ryan Lewis (songwriters) (2013)
"
i " –
Kendrick Duckworth ,
Columbus Smith &
Ronald Isley (songwriters) (2014)
"
Alright " –
Kendrick Duckworth ,
Kawan Prather ,
Mark Spears &
Pharrell Williams (songwriters) (2015)
"
Hotline Bling " –
Aubrey Graham &
Paul Jefferies (songwriters) (2016)
"
Humble " –
Kendrick Duckworth ,
Asheton Hogan &
Michael Williams II (songwriters) (2017)
"
God's Plan " –
Aubrey Graham ,
Ronald LaTour , Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan,
Matthew Samuels &
Noah Shebib (songwriters) (2018)
"
A Lot " –
Jermaine Cole ,
Dacoury Natche ,
21 Savage &
Anthony White (songwriters) (2019)
2020s
"
Savage " –
Beyoncé ,
Shawn Carter ,
Brittany Hazzard ,
Derrick Milano ,
Terius Nash ,
Megan Pete ,
Bobby Sessions Jr. ,
Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe &
Anthony White (songwriters) (2020)
"
Jail " –
Dwayne Abernathy, Jr. ,
Shawn Carter ,
Raul Cubina ,
Michael Dean ,
Charles M. Njapa , Sean Solymar,
Kanye West &
Mark Williams (songwriters) (2021)
"
The Heart Part 5 " – Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich,
Kendrick Duckworth & Matt Schaeffer (songwriters) (2022)
"Scientists & Engineers" –
Andre Benjamin ,
Paul Beauregard ,
James Blake ,
Michael Render , Tim Moore &
Dion Wilson (songwriters) (2023)
International National Artists