Kaytranada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kaytranada
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	Electronic hip hop R&B dance funk house
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 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

See also

In Spanish: Kaytranada para niños