Epiphany in Rhythm: The Sound of K-The Beats

By Emmanuel Daraloye

The pensiveness that leaves the dance of flame to settle in the bodies of humans or the euphoric liquor, the life of the party, is caused by the power of music. Just like how bonds are celestial, the agreement of different sounds coming together makes the magic happen. In these, drums are important, and one among drummers who strike also souls, not only snares or other parts of it, is K-The Beat.

Kehinde Komolafe Hammed, stage-named K-The Beats by all friends, families and acquaintances is a professional Nigerian drummer and percussionist with his works, having more depth in African art and cultural expression. Apart from his appraisal of culture, and his stance as a gatekeeper of his cultural heritage through drumming, K-The Beats’ beats also cut into the root of life’s philosophical thinking.

This beat, which could be named epiphany, starts with a gentle chaos, like fierce drum rolls, especially on only the toms, while the consistent deep kicks hold them together, and lay its rest on the snare drum. Followed by a mild pause which let out the sticks, but heavier on the kick and bass drum. Then, K-The Beats’ detailed adherence to timing, he broke the rules of transitions with his flows.

His techniques are mastered arts of over 7 years, hence the dynamics. The effortless back-and-forth swing of his sticks and swiftness in “pedal theatrics” keeps awe awake and makes people wonder. He sustains these styles while the level of his strength is kept at the same, even for some minutes while he does his thing. Like how inexperienced drummers smash the sticks on any part of the set without calculations, this is unheard of in K-The Beats’ coordination.

He doesn’t “just drum.” Pauses, and fills, varied paces and his stick to the theme of his beat makes the best itself more deep. Even while there are sparse rolls with the tap of the snare, and clap of the hi-hats, which seems like chaos to the “tranquility” he creates, the beat still stays reflective, leaning on the thread of a told story.

K-The Beats is not a drummer, alone, but one who also embodies his beats. He carries the emotions of his beats, and acts as such while on the drums. On this same beat, K-The Beats shows up mildly melancholic like a half-broken heart. At some intervals while he drums, his sniffles, bowed head, extreme-raised head and tighten-closed eyes keep his beats striking even to the bone marrow.

While K-The Beats matches his emotions with his beats and also the skillfulness, his relationship with other instrumentalists like the keyboard, especially, seems strained at some points. Music deals with arrangements (this which is logical), and not on emotions alone. So, in the process of making this beat, if there had been a balance, this beat would have come out unscathed; this should be worked on in other productions.

K-The Beats who has created multiple beats and performed in diverse shows from Africa to the UK has shown the passion for his art, and culture. This beat, which shows his melancholic drive, points to the fact that even with skills, and logic, man is still driven by emotions.