Leven Kali Simon-Seay | |
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Born | Netherlands | October 7, 1994
Genres | Neo soul[1] |
Occupations |
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Labels | Interscope Records (2019–2021) |
Leven Kali is a Dutch-born American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work on Beyoncé's Renaissance and Drake's More Life.[2]
Born into a family of musicians, Simon-Seay was conceived in the Netherlands while his father, bass guitarist Jerry "Wyzard" Seay, was on a European tour with his band Mother's Finest.[3] His family subsequently relocated to Santa Monica, California at the age of eight, where he would eventually join the music program at Crossroads High School, building a close-knit network of musicians and visual artists.[3] Upon graduation, Simon-Seay attended University of California, Riverside on a NCAA Division I golf scholarship before moving into music creation.[4][5] Simon-Seay, alongside Daniel Memmi and Solomon "Sol Was" Cole, friends he made through his Crossroads High School music program, joined forces as a production/songwriting team, subsequently co-creating Renaissance standout "Virgo's Groove".[6]