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Kaytranada
Kaytranada 2016 September.jpg
Kaytranada in 2016
Background information
Birth name Louis Kevin Celestin
Also known as
  • Kaytra
  • Kaytradamus
Born (1992-08-25) August 25, 1992 (age 32)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • DJ
  • record producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
Years active 2010–present
Labels
  • HW&W
  • Jakarta
  • XL
  • RCA

Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, and sometimes shortened to KAYTRA), is a talented Haitian and Canadian music producer, rapper, singer, and DJ. He became well-known after releasing many mixtapes, remixes, and original music projects starting in 2010. At first, he used the name Kaytradamus.

By 2013, he started gaining more attention as Kaytranada. The next year, he signed with XL Recordings. With this label, he released his first studio album, 99.9%, in 2016, which was highly praised. In 2019, he released his second album, Bubba. This album helped him win two Grammy Awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album. Celestin is also one half of the hip hop duo the Celestics, working alongside his brother Lou Phelps.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Louis Kevin Celestin, also known as Kaytranada, was born on August 25, 1992, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Saint-Hubert, which is near Montreal. He grew up there and began his music journey in that city.

His parents divorced when he was 14 years old. In the same year, Celestin started making his own music. His brother Lou Phelps showed him how to use a music software called FL Studio. When he was 15, the first song he ever used for a sample was "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire. Celestin decided to leave high school to focus on music full-time. He wanted to help support his family financially through his music career.

Kaytranada's Music Career

Kaytranada, HERE at Outernet London, 2025
Kaytranada performing at Outernet London in 2025

Celestin started his music career in 2010 using the name Kaytradamus. He released two projects under this name before changing it to Kaytranada in 2012. In 2013, Celestin became very popular on SoundCloud. This happened because of his special remix of the song "If" by Janet Jackson.

Celestin was part of HW&W Recordings, an independent music label. This label has offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. Kaytranada has released many projects, including 13 albums and 41 remixes. He has also traveled and performed in over 50 cities. These cities are in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia.

In December 2014, he signed an exclusive recording deal with XL Recordings. During 2015, Celestin was an opening act for Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour. He performed for two nights, one in Canada and one in the United States. Around February 2015, a photo of Celestin and producer Rick Rubin appeared online. This led to talk that they were working together. It was later confirmed that they had formed a partnership supported by Pulse Recordings.

His first album, 99.9%, was released on May 6, 2016. This album featured many artists like GoldLink, AlunaGeorge, Syd, Anderson .Paak, and Vic Mensa. He also worked with Craig David on the song "Got It Good." This song is on David's sixth album, Following My Intuition. Celestin won the 2016 Polaris Music Prize for his album 99.9%. The album received a score of 8.0 from Pitchfork, a well-known music review site.

On December 13, 2019, his second album, Bubba, was released through RCA Records. This album also received a high score of 8.1 from Pitchfork. On March 14, 2021, Celestin won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for his song "10%." He also won Best Dance/Electronic Album for Bubba. He was the first Black producer to win the award for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the Grammy Awards.

On October 13, 2022, it was revealed that Celestin would be featured on two songs. These songs were "I'm Lying" and "High Grade" from Lancey Foux's album Life in Hell. That album was released on October 28, 2022.

On April 7, 2023, Celestin and Aminé released "4eva." This song featured Pharrell Williams and was the first single from their joint album. The duo released their joint studio album, Kaytraminé, on May 19, 2023. This album included guest artists like Pharrell Williams, Freddie Gibbs, Big Sean, Amaarae, and Snoop Dogg.

Celestin performed at the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. In May 2024, Celestin announced his third solo album, Timeless. This album was released on June 7, 2024. It features collaborations with artists such as Childish Gambino, PinkPantheress, Don Toliver, and Ravyn Lenae.

Discography

Since 2010, Celestin has released three studio albums and two studio EPs. He has also put out many singles and at least a dozen beat tapes. He is also known for his many remixes and has worked on collaborative projects with the Celestics and Robert Glasper, among others.

Studio Albums

  • 99.9% (2016)
  • Bubba (2019)
  • Kaytraminé (2023; with Aminé)
  • Timeless (2024)

Production Discography

Awards and Nominations

Year Awards Category Nominated work Result
2015 SOCAN Awards Electronic Music Award Kaytranada Won
2016 Rober Awards Music Prize Best Electronica Kaytranada Won
Breakthrough Artist Nominated
Floorfiller of the Year "Lite Spots" Nominated
iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards Best Post Production Nominated
AIM Independent Music Awards Independent Video of the Year Nominated
Polaris Music Prize Canadian Album of the Year 99.9% Won
Abilu Music Awards International Electronic Album of the Year Won
2017 Juno Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
Electronic Album of the Year 99.9% Won
Video of the Year "Lite Spots" Nominated
Canadian Independent Music Awards Album of the Year 99.9% Nominated
Artist of the Year Kaytranada Won
iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards Video of the Year "Glowed Up" (ft. Anderson .Paak) Nominated
SOCAN Songwriting Prize Nominated
2019 "Chances" (ft. Shay Lia) Nominated
2020 Polaris Music Prize Canadian Album of the Year Bubba Shortlisted
2021 Grammy Awards Best New Artist Kaytranada Nominated
Best Dance Recording "10%" (ft. Kali Uchis) Won
Best Dance/Electronic Album Bubba Won
Juno Awards Best Dance Recording Won
Producer of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
2022 Grammy Awards Album of the Year Back of My Mind (as featured artist) Nominated
Best R&B Album Nominated
Juno Awards Producer of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
Best Dance Recording "Caution" Won
2023 Grammy Awards Best Dance/Electronic Recording "Intimidated" (with H.E.R.) Nominated
Juno Awards Rap Single of the Year "Twin Flame" (with Anderson .Paak) Won
Producer of the Year Kaytranada Nominated
BET Hip Hop Awards DJ of the Year Nominated
Producer of the Year Nominated
2024 BET Hip Hop Awards DJ of the Year Nominated
2025 Grammy Awards Best Dance/Electronic Recording "Witchy" (featuring Childish Gambino) Nominated
Best Dance/Electronic Album Timeless Nominated
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical "Alter Ego (Kaytranada remix)" (Doechii featuring JT) Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kaytranada para niños

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