Kenny Beats, the producer behind some of this generation’s hottest Hip-Hop records, has recently announced an end to his popular YouTube series, The Cave. Focused on inspiring artists to channel their artistic spontaneity, The Cave became a spot for upcoming rappers to get candid with Kenny in the studio and finish songs on the clock with one motto: “Don’t Overthink S**t”.
We started this show 5 years ago to remember a moment in time. All I could afford was a shitty room with a lock on the door, but we knew something special was happening. I spent 16 hours a day in that room, 7 days a week, telling any one I could reach to come make music. After a… pic.twitter.com/qk5cPJeJB2
— kennybeats (@kennybeats) April 29, 2024
From conceptual rap lyricists the likes of ScHoolboy Q, Vince Staples and Denzel Curry, to hitmakers like D4VD, Isaiah Rashad and more, The Cave saw vocalists across genres and styles explore their ability to create impulsively over the course of four total seasons. Although, of course, the creativity did not end there; the show also became the bedrock (and music video set) for Kenny’s collaborative project with Denzel Curry (Unlocked) — arguably one of the most innovative and conceptual projects in rap in recent memory.
The show also became especially popular among young, up and coming producers who have only seldom witnessed examples of producers like Kenny spearheading their own show formats. The show gave these producers a sense of community, backed by an extended but robust system of beat battles and peer review, over platforms like Discord and Twitch. More notably, Kenny’s focus on creating a safe space and platforming conversations around mental health, music business and creativity led to the discovery and development of musicians across the globe in unquantifiable ways.
I want to get off camera completely and make music only; it’s time.
— kennybeats (@kennybeats) April 29, 2024
While the artist didn’t go into the details of the decision at length, he revealed on Twitter that it is now time for him to back away from the camera and focus on the music. And for fans of The Cave that would like to binge the series again, here’s a playlist with all the episodes.
