Dwane Marshall Weir II (born July 12, 1990) is an American hip hop/R&B producer and songwriter, professionally known as Key Wane. Wane has produced for artists such as Big Sean, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Drake, Jhene Aiko, Wale, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Juicy J, Ariana Grande, Logic, Ty Dolla Sign and Meek Mill among others.[1] He is best known for producing Drake's "All Me", Beyoncé's "Partition", Jazmine Sullivan's "Let It Burn" & "Insecure", Meek Mill's "Amen", Big Sean's "Guap", "Beware", "IDFWU" and an extensive amount of his albums including Hall of Fame, Dark Sky Paradise, and Twenty 88. [2]
Key Wane | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dwane Marshall Weir II |
| Born | July 12, 1990 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, songwriter, record producer |
| Labels | Finally Famous, For The Win |
Early life
editAt the age 11, Wane began playing the piano in the church every first Sunday, initially teaching himself melodies before his mom heard him and got involved in his learning. He told XXL, “She ordered me this Casio keyboard out of a JCPenney catalog. It got mailed to the house, and I just started making beats on it. Then I started taking piano lessons, and the stuff I learned from my piano lessons, I would combine that with beats, and it really was just something that I loved to do, man. I really didn’t go out a lot cause I was always coming up with stuff."[1] In December 2012, Key Wane graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in Musical Arts and Sciences.[1]
Musical career
editIn 2002, Wane started making beats in his mother's basement. Wane met rapper Big Sean in the 8th grade through his older brother who told Wane to play beats for Sean. Big Sean was friends with Wane's older brother and cousin at their high school, Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Around the same time Wane started taking record production seriously, and begun sending him beats periodically. During mid-2010 before his junior year of college, Wane first became known after producing "Memories" by Big Sean, from his third mixtape Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG.[3] In 2011, Wane produced and co-wrote Tyga's "Drink the Night Away" featuring The Game and Mario, "Don't Wake Me Up" and "Hypnotized", all of which featured on his mixtape Black Thoughts Vol. 2.[4][5] In November 2011, Warner/Chappell and Big Sean signed Wane to a co-publishing deal.
In early 2010, Wane produced "Amen" for Meek Mill after running into him while in New York. Meek Mill picked it up and released it as the lead single from his debut album Dreams and Nightmares. Many Christian hip hop artists and religious leaders commented negatively on the song.[6][7] However the song peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] After his significant contributions over the years, XXL named Wane one of hip-hops most must-watch producers.[9] Wane was also included in XXL's Freshman Producer Class of 2013.[10]
In December 2012, Wane confirmed working with Drake, Jhene Aiko, Big Sean and Beyoncé on their upcoming albums. On August 1, 2013 Drake released a song titled "All Me" produced and co-written by Wane, featuring 2 Chainz and Big Sean, from his upcoming third studio album Nothing Was the Same.[11] He had originally produced the instrumental for himself, but after the record had sat for a couple months, Wane sent the instrumental to Drake, who immediately picked up the beat.[12] Along with No ID, Wane produced the majority of Big Sean's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013), including the highest-charting singles of the album, "Guap" and "Beware" featuring Jhene Aiko and Lil Wayne. He contributed production to six songs in total.[1][13][14] Key Wane co-produced Big Sean's "IDFWU" as well. In December 2014, Wane was nominated for his first Grammy for his production contribution on the Grammy nominated "Beyonce" for Album of the Year.[15] In December 2015, Wane was nominated the following year at the Grammy's for his production on Jazmine Sullivan's "Let It Burn" for Best R&B Song of the Year.[16]
Production style
editKey Wane's production has been described as "soulful instrumental music".[17] His production is based around a melodic piano driven sound and a kickdrum.[1][18]
Awards and nominations
editGrammy nominations
edit| Year | Nominee/Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "BEYONCÉ" | Album Of The Year | Nominated |
| 2016 | "Let It Burn"
(Prod. Key Wane) |
Best R&B Song Of The Year | Nominated |
BET Hip Hop Awards
edit| Year | Nominee/Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "IDFWU"
(Prod. DJ Mustard, Key Wane, Kanye West & DJ Dahi) |
Best Club Banger | Won |
| Best Track Of The Year | Nominated |
Certifications
edit| Title | Year | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Amen"
(Prod. Key Wane) |
2012 |
|
Dreams and Nightmares |
| "Guap"
(Big Sean) (Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Young Chop) |
|
Hall of Fame | |
| "Beware" (Big Sean featuring Lil Wayne & Jhene Aiko) (Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Mike Dean) |
2013 |
| |
| "All Me" (Drake featuring Big Sean & 2 Chainz) (Prod. Key Wane) |
|
Nothing Was the Same | |
| "Partition" (Beyoncé) (Prod. Beyoncé Knowles, Boots, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Key Wane & Mike Dean) |
2014 |
|
Beyoncé |
| "IDFWU"
(Prod. DJ Mustard, Key Wane, Kanye West & DJ Dahi) |
Dark Sky Paradise | ||
| "I Know"
(Big Sean featuring Jhené Aiko) (Prod. DJ Mustard & Key Wane) |
2015 |
| |
| "Play No Games"
(Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla Sign) (Prod. Key Wane & Jay John Henry) |
2016 |
| |
| "Jump Out The Window"
(Big Sean) (Prod. Key Wane & Camper) |
2017 |
|
I Decided |
| "Insecure"
(Jazmine Sullivan & Bryson Tiller ) (Prod. Key Wane) |
2017 | Insecure |
Discography
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2021) |
Production discography
editSingles produced
edit| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B/HH |
US Rap |
UK R&B | |||
| 2012 | "Amen"
(Prod. Key Wane) |
57 | 5 | 4 | — | Dreams and Nightmares |
| "Guap"
(Big Sean) (Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Young Chop) |
71 | 21 | 17 | — | Hall of Fame | |
| 2013 | "All Me" (Drake featuring Big Sean & 2 Chainz) (Prod. Key Wane) |
20 | 6 | 4 | 33 | Nothing Was the Same |
| "Beware" (Big Sean featuring Lil Wayne & Jhene Aiko) (Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Mike Dean) |
38 | 10 | 7 | _ | Hall of Fame | |
| 2014 | "Partition" (Beyoncé) (Prod. Beyoncé Knowles, Boots, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Key Wane & Mike Dean) |
23 | 9 | — | 15 | Beyoncé |
| "IDFWU"
(Prod. DJ Mustard, Key Wane, Kanye West & DJ Dahi) |
11 | 1 | — | 67 | Dark Sky Paradise | |
| 2015 | "Let It Burn"
(Prod. Key Wane) |
— | 22 | — | — | Reality Show |
| "Play No Games"
(Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla Sign) (Prod. Key Wane & Jay John Henry) |
84 | 28 | — | — | Dark Sky Paradise | |
| 2016 | "On The Way"
(Twenty88) (Prod. Key Wane) |
— | — | — | — | Twenty88 |
| "Déjà Vu"
(Twenty88) (Prod. Key Wane & Cam O'bi) |
— | 21 | — | — | Twenty88 | |
| 2017 | "Jump Out The Window"
(Big Sean) (Prod. Key Wane & Camper) |
76 | I Decided | |||
| "Insecure"
(Jazmine Sullivan & Bryson Tiller) (Prod. Key Wane) |
19 | HBO: Insecure Soundtrack | ||||
Key Wane's production
edit| Year | Artist | Song | Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Big Sean | "4 My People" | XXL's 10 Freshman For '10 Mixtape |
| 2010 | Big Sean | My Closet | Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG |
| "Almost Wrote You a Love Song" (co. produced by No ID)[25] | |||
| Memories | |||
| 2011 | Tyga | Don't Wake Me Up | Black Thoughts Vol. 2 |
| Hypnotized | |||
| Drink The Night Away | |||
| Mickey Factz | "The Finer Things"[26] | N/A | |
| Big Sean | Intro | Finally Famous | |
| Chevy Woods | Down | The Cookout | |
| 2012 | Tyga | "Potty Mouth" (featuring Busta Rhymes; addition production by Jess Jackson) | Careless World: Rise of the Last King |
| Rockie Fresh | "So Long"[27] | Driving 88 | |
| King Chip | "Pocket Full"[27] | Tell Ya Friends | |
| Meek Mill | "Amen" (featuring Drake; co-produced by Jahlil Beats) | Dreams and Nightmares | |
| Chevy Woods | "Ace N Mitch" | Gang Land | |
| Roscoe Dash | "MoWet" (featuring French Montana) | 2.0 | |
| Big Sean | "Higher" | Detroit | |
| "24 Karats of Gold" (featuring J. Cole) | |||
| "Woke Up" (co-produced by BP & Young Chop) | |||
| "I'm Gonna Be" (featuring Jhené Aiko) | |||
| "RWT" (co-produced by Southside) | |||
| "Guap" (co-produced by Young Chop; additional production by DJ Camper & Rob Kinelski) | |||
| Alley Boy | "I'm That" | War Cry | |
| Lil Wayne | "Awkward" (co-produced by Jahlil Beats)[28] | The Appreciation Vol. 5: Holiday Edition | |
| Wale | "Money Changes" | Folarin | |
| Young Jeezy | "Knob Broke" (co-produced by Jahlil Beats) | It's Tha World | |
| 2013 | Logic | "Life Is Good" | Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever |
| Big Sean | "Higher" | Hall of Fame | |
| "10 2 10" (add. production) | |||
| "Beware" (featuring Jhené Aiko & Lil Wayne) (co-produced with Mike Dean) | |||
| "It's Time" (featuring Young Jeezy & Payroll) | |||
| "World Ablaze" (co. produced with No ID) | |||
| "Guap" (co-produced by Young Chop; additional production by DJ Camper & Rob Kinelski) | |||
| Drake | "All Me" (featuring 2 Chainz & Big Sean) (additional production by Noah "40" Shebib) | Nothing Was the Same | |
| Meek Mill | "Dope Dealer" (featuring Nicki Minaj & Rick Ross) | Dreamchasers 3 | |
| Beyoncé Knowles | "Yoncé" / "Partition" (co-produced by Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé Knowles) | Beyoncé | |
| "Mine" (co-produced &written by Noah "40" Shebib, Drake, Beyoncé, Majid Jordan, Sidney "Omen" Brown and Key Wane) | |||
| Diggy Simmons | "Mama Said" (featuring B.o.B and Key Wane) | TBA | |
| 2014 | Big Sean | "1st Quarter Freestyle" (co-produced by Travi$ Scott)[29] | non-album singles |
| "4th Quarter"[30] | |||
| Ariana Grande | "Best Mistake" (featuring Big Sean) | My Everything | |
| Jhené Aiko | "My Afternoon Dream" | Souled Out | |
| "Eternal Sunshine" | |||
| "Mirrors" | |||
| 2015 | Jazmine Sullivan | "Dumb" (featuring Meek Mill) (co-produced with Salaam Remi) | Reality Show |
| "Mascara" | |||
| "Silver Lining" | |||
| "Let It Burn" | |||
| "Veins" | |||
| Big Sean | "I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40) (add. production) | Dark Sky Paradise | |
| "Play No Games" (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign) (co-produced with Jay Henry) | |||
| "I Know" (featuring Jhené Aiko) (co-produced with DJ Mustard) | |||
| "Deep" (featuring Lil Wayne) (co-produced with DJ Mustard) | |||
| "Platinum & Wood" | |||
| Jordin Sparks | "Work From Home" (featuring B.o.B) | Right Here, Right Now | |
| "100 Years" | |||
| Ne-Yo | "Run" | Non-Fiction | |
| 2016 | Twenty88 | "Déjà Vu" | Twenty88 |
| "On The Way" | |||
| "London Bridge" | |||
| French Montana | "Holy Moly" | Wave Gods | |
| Dreezy | "Bad Bitch" | No Hard Feelings | |
| DJ Khaled | "Tourist" (featuring Travis Scott & Lil Wayne) | Major Key | |
| 2017 | Jhené Aiko | "Sing To Me" (featuring Namiko Love) | Trip |
| Gucci Mane | "Changed" (featuring Big Sean) | Mr. Davis | |
| Jazmine Sullivan | "Insecure" (featuring Bryson Tiller) | HBO: Insecure Soundtrack | |
| Big Sean | "Jump Out The Window" | I Decided | |
| 2018 | Royce Da 5'9[24] | "Woke" | Book Of Ryan |
| "1st Of The Month" (featuring T-Pain & Chavis Chandler) | |||
| 2020 | Jazmine Sullivan | "Bodies (Intro)" | Heaux Tales |
| "Put It Down" |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Key Wane Goes from Remixing Songs in Class to Working on Big Sean's 'Hall of Fame' - XXL". Archived from the original on 2013-08-25. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "Key Wane On Producing Twenty88, Big Sean's Crazy New Music And Unreleased Jhene Aiko Songs". Mtv.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Big Sean "Memories" (2010) — Key Wane Tells All: The Stories Behind His Biggest Hits". Complex.com. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "The Game and Mario "Drink The Night Away" (2011) — Key Wane Tells All: The Stories Behind His Biggest Hits". Complex.com. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Key Wane Tells All: The Stories Behind His Biggest Hits". Complex.com. 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Hip-Hop News". Rapfix.mtv.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Listen: Meek Mill Debates With Philadelphia Pastor Who Rallied For "Amen" Boycott". Complex.com. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Amen by Meek Mill and Drake - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "KeY Wane Talks Producing Big Sean's "Guap," Detroit's Reception and Hall of Fame - XXL". Archived from the original on 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "iStandard Producers Weigh In On XXL's 2013 Freshman Producers List - XXL". XXL Mag. May 2013. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
- ^ "Producer Key Wane Speaks On Making Drake's "All Me"". Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Interview: Key Wane Explains How 'All Me' Landed In Drake's Hands". Vibe.com. 5 August 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Big Sean on Kanye West, Threesomes, and His 'Classic' New LP 'Hall of Fame'". Rolling Stone. 9 August 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Big Sean Says New Single Will Be Produced by Key Wane, Touts Him 'Greatest Producer'". Theboombox.com. 16 May 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Grammys". Archived from the original on 2014-12-07.
- ^ "IStandard Producers Weigh in on XXL's 2013 Freshman Producers List - Page 10 of 16 - XXL". Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
- ^ "Production Credit: KeY Wane Talks "Amen," Signing Publishing Deal with Big Sean and Upcoming Work - XXL". Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "Key Wane". Grammy.com. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "BET Hip Hop Awards Winners 2015 List: Kendrick Lamar & Big Sean Win Big". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
- ^ "Every Drake Single To Go Platinum". HNHH. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
- ^ "Beyonce 'Partition' Single Goes Platinum". Louie V Reveals. 2015-01-25. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
- ^ a b "Key Wane Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Key Wane Tells the Stories Behind His Biggest Hits | Complex". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ "Mickey Factz ft. KeY Wane - The Finer Things". Djbooth. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "So Many Keys Mixtape by Key Wane Hosted by DJ Mo Beatz". Datpiff.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Lil Wayne - Awkward (Prod. By Jahlil Beats & Key Wane)". Hotnewhiphop.com. December 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Big Sean - 1st Quarter Freestyle". YouTube. 29 January 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "4th Quarter (Prod. Key Wane) by Big Sean - Hear the world's sounds". Archived from the original on 2014-09-23. Retrieved 2014-09-12.