Sounwave facts for kids

Mark Anthony Spears (born February 28, 1986), known as Sounwave, is an American music producer and songwriter. He is famous for working with rapper Kendrick Lamar. Sounwave has helped create all of Lamar's music projects since 2009. He has also worked with many other big artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Schoolboy Q. Sounwave has won three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rap Album.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Sounwave grew up in Compton, California. He says the first hip hop song he ever heard was "Up Jumps da Boogie" by Timbaland. When he was ten, he started making simple drum beats using a Korg drum machine. He then moved on to a 4-track machine and later used a game called MTV Music Generator on PlayStation to make music.

First Big Break

While using the MTV Music Generator, he made a song for rapper Bishop Lamont. This song even played on local radio stations!

Sounwave's Music Career

Starting Out (1999–2009)

When Sounwave was 13, he was discovered by Terrance "Punch" Henderson. Punch is a co-president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), a big music company. Sounwave kept making music and got better and better.

In 2005, after finishing Compton High School, his cousin gave him an Akai MPC. This machine became one of his main tools for making beats. He first met rapper Kendrick Lamar in a recording studio. Lamar was quiet until Sounwave played a song called "Rock and Roll Gangster." This made Lamar jump into the recording booth and rap for two minutes straight!

Joining Top Dawg Entertainment

A year later, Sounwave met Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who started TDE. At first, Tiffith wasn't very impressed, but Sounwave worked hard and later amazed him. Sounwave then joined TDE's team of producers called Digi+Phonics. He worked with other talented producers like Tae Beast and Willie B. His first work for TDE included songs on Kendrick Lamar's 2009 music collection and Flo Rida's album R.O.O.T.S.

Gaining Fame (2010–2014)

Sounwave was a main producer for Kendrick Lamar's mixtape Overly Dedicated (2010) and his first album Section.80 (2011). Because of his work on Section.80, Complex magazine put him on their list of "15 New Producers to Watch."

Working on Big Albums

He produced three songs on Lamar's second album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). These songs were "... Don't Kill My Vibe", "M.A.A.D. City", and "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst". For his work on Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Sounwave and the Digi+Phonics team were recognized again by Complex. He also received his first Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year. Sounwave also helped with albums by Schoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad.

Major Success and New Projects (2015–Present)

Sounwave produced most of Kendrick Lamar's third album, To ... a Butterfly (2015). Many people say this album is one of the best of the 2010s. At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, Sounwave won Best Rap Song for helping write "Alright" from the album. He also got another nomination for Album of the Year.

Grammy Wins and Film Music

For Lamar's fourth album, ..., Sounwave won Best Rap Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. He also got his third Album of the Year nomination. In 2018, he helped create the music for the movie Black Panther: The Album. He also worked on singer-songwriter Kali Uchis's first album, Isolation. Black Panther: The Album was nominated for five Grammys, including Album of the Year. Its main song, "All the Stars", was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards (the Oscars) and Golden Globe Awards.

Collaborations and New Groups

In 2019, Sounwave worked with many famous singers. He contributed to Beyoncé's album The Lion King: The Gift and Taylor Swift's album Lover. In the same year, he started a new music group called Red Hearse with musician Jack Antonoff and singer Sam Dew. Their first album came out through RCA Records.

For his work on Kendrick Lamar's fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), Sounwave won Best Rap Album for the second time at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. He also earned his fourth nomination for Album of the Year.

Personal Life

Sounwave lives in West Hills, Los Angeles. He lives with his partner, Reyna Biddy, who is a poet and songwriter, and their son, Umi.

Albums Produced

• Beyoncé – The Lion King: The Gift (2019), Cowboy Carter (2024)
• Bleachers – Gone Now (2017)
• Chloe x Halle – Ungodly Hour (2020)
• Kali Uchis – Isolation (2018), Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (2020), Red Moon in Venus (2023), Orquídeas (2024)
• Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (2011), Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), To ... a Butterfly (2015), ... (2017), Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), GNX (2024)
• Taylor Swift – Lover (2019), Midnights (2022)

Awards and Nominations

Sounwave has won several important awards for his music.