What’s the connection between Whitehorse, Yukon and Compton, California?
It’s Stephen Kozmeniuk.
The songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist also known as Koz is one of 17 producers nominated for a GRAMMY Award for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, specifically on heavy-hitting lyrical juggernaut “The Blacker The Berry.” But how does a musician from the Yukon—4,364 km away from Compton—end up on one of the most monumental records in recent memory?
First things first, this isn’t Stephen’s first credit. After disbanding his indie rock band Boy in 2008, Kozmeniuk settled in Toronto, and took on more of a behind the scenes role, finding himself most comfortable in the studio. “I never liked the spotlight, from day one,” he told Words & Music back in 2013. “I loved being in the studio, writing songs and playing instruments, so it was like ‘There must be other ways to make a living in music.’” Stephen focussed on commercial work at first, but an apprenticeship overseas with Swedish producer Jonas Quant (Kylie Minogue, No Doubt) helped him hone his pop songwriting skills. Ultimately, Koz’s return to Toronto led to his big break. Making a connection with Demo Castellon, a producer and engineer and husband to Nelly Furtado, gave him the opportunity to work on Madonna’s 2012 record MDNA.
Kozmeniuk’s introduction to the hip-hop world came soon after the MDNA sessions, via a chance meeting with day-one Drake producer Boi-1da. The pair collaborated on high profile tracks, like "Jesus Piece" by Game, Common, and Kanye West, and "Up In Flames" by Nicki Minaj. To date, Stephen’s songwriting and production discography includes Meek Mill, Jennifer Hudson, Benny Benassi & Chris Brown, and many more.
According to an interview with CBC Radio, Boi-1da is also responsible for getting “The Blacker The Berry” into Kendrick Lamar’s hands. “I did the track quite a while ago,” Koz says. “It was one that a few people tried to do stuff on, and it didn’t quite work. Then I heard that Kendrick got it. That’s kind of how it works, I mean, in hip-hop, you just never know. I actually got the call that it was going on Kendrick’s record, so I had to go back to Toronto, and get all the files, and get it over to their guys to get it mixed.” The song’s outro was produced by Los Angeles producer Terrace Martin, but the rest of the song remains relatively untouched from Koz and Boi-1da’s original sessions. And with that, a former indie-rock musician from the Yukon has a credit on a GRAMMY-nominated album by a rapper from Compton, California.
When asked if he’s ever met Kendrick Lamar before, Kozmeniuk says no. “I haven’t met Kendrick, but that’s usually how it works in hip-hop. I’m sure I will meet him sooner or later. Maybe at the GRAMMYs,” he says, laughing. “It’s a possibility, who knows.”
Like Stephen said himself—in hip-hop, you just never know.
