Key Wane

Dwane Marshall Weir II (born 1990) is an American hip hop record producer and songwriter, better known by his stage name Key Wane (stylized as KeY Wane). Wane has produced for artists such as Big Sean, Beyoncé, Drake, Wale, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Tyga, Ariana Grande, Rockie Fresh, Roscoe Dash, Logic and Meek Mill among others.^[4] Wane is signed to Big Sean's Finally Famous record label as a songwriter and producer. He is best known for producing Drake's "All Me", Beyoncé's "Partition", Meek Mill "Amen" and Big Sean's "Guap", "Beware" and an extensive amount of his Hall of Fame album.

Early life

At the age of 11 or 12 Key Wane first started playing the piano, initially teaching himself single-note melodies before his mom heard him and got involved in his learning. He would tell XXL, “She ordered me this Yamaha 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."^[4] In December 2012, Key Wane graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in Musical Arts and Sciences.^[4]

Musical career

In 2005, Key Wane met rapper Big Sean, who was friends with his 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, Key Wane first became known after producing "Memories" by Big Sean, from his third mixtape Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG.^[5] In 2011, Key Wane received his first big beat placement outside of a Big Sean project, producing 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.^[6][7] In November 2011, Big Sean signed Wane to a co-publishing deal with his record label Finally Famous as a song-writer and record producer.^[8][9] He would be the first producer signed to Sean's Finally Famous record label, which also includes rappers Earlly Mac and SAYITAINTTONE.^[10][11]

In early 2012, Key Wane produced the controversial track "Amen" originally for Big Sean, but after he passed on it Meek Mill picked it up and would release 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.^[12][13] However the song would end up peaking at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[14] After his significant contributions over the year such as to Sean's "Guap" and Detroit mixtape, XXL named Key Wane one of hip-hops most must-watch producers.^[15]

In September 2012, Key Wane revealed upcoming collaborations with Trey Songz, Hit-Boy, King Chip, Rockie Fresh.^[9] Then in December 2012, Wane confirmed working with Drake, Jhene Aiko, Big Sean and Beyoncé on their upcoming albums.^[1] On February 4, 2013 Wane released his second mixtape, titled So Many Keys Vol. 1. It was primarily a collection of his most known produced songs, along with a new solo track "Have Some Fun".^[16] On August 1, 2013 Drake released a song titled "All Me" produced by Key Wane, featuring 2 Chainz and Big Sean, from his upcoming third studio album Nothing Was the Same.^[17] He had origionlly produced the instrumental for Big Sean, but after the record had sat for a couple months he sent the instrumental to Drake, who immediately picked up the beat.^[2] Along with No ID, Key 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.^[3][18][19] On December 22, 2013, Diggy Simmons released a song named "Mama Said", featuring vocals from B.o.B and Key Wane. Key Wane also provided the song's production.^[20]

Production style

Key Wane's production has been described as "soulful instrumental music."^[21] His production is based around a melodic piano driven sound and a kickdrum.^[4][8]

Discography

Mixtapes

Production discography

Singles produced

2010

Big Sean - Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG

• "My Closet" (featuring SAYITAINTTONE)
• "Almost Wrote You a Love Song" (co. produced by No ID)^[24]
• "Memories"

2011

Tyga - Black Thoughts Vol. 2

• "Hypnotized"
• "Don't Wake Me Up"
• "Drink the Night Away" (featuring The Game, & Mario )

Mickey Factz - non-album single

• "The Finer Things"^[25]

Big Sean - Finally Famous

• "Intro"^[26]

Chevy Woods - The Cookout

• "Down"

2012

Tyga - Careless World: Rise of the Last King

• "Potty Mouth" (featuring Busta Rhymes; addition production by Jess Jackson)

Rockie Fresh - Driving 88

• "So Long"^[27]

King Chip - Tell Ya Friends

• "Pocket Full"^[28]

Meek Mill - Dreams and Nightmares

• "Amen" (featuring Drake; co-produced by Jahlil Beats)

Chevy Woods - Gang Land

• "Ace N Mitch"

Roscoe Dash - 2.0

• "MoWet" (featuring French Montana)

Big Sean - Detroit

• "Higher"
• "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)
• "Life Should Go On" (featuring Wale)

Alley Boy - War Cry

• "I'm That"

Lil Wayne - The Appreciation Vol. 5: Holiday Edition

• "Awkward" (co-produced by Jahlil Beats)^[29]

Wale - Folarin

• "Money Changes"

2013

Young Jeezy - It's Tha World

• "Knob Broke" (co-produced by Jahlil Beats)

Logic - Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever

• "Life Is Good"

Big Sean - Hall of Fame

• "Nothing Is Stopping You"
• "10 2 10" (add. production)
• "Beware" (featuring Jhené Aiko & Lil Wayne) (co-produced with Mike Dean)
• "First Chain" (featuring Nas & Kid Cudi) (co-produced with No ID)
• "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 - Nothing Was the Same

• "All Me" (featuring 2 Chainz & Big Sean) (additional production by Noah "40" Shebib)

Meek Mill - Dreamchasers 3

• "Dope Dealer" (featuring Nicki Minaj & Rick Ross)

Beyoncé Knowles - Beyoncé

• "Yoncé" / "Partition" (co-produced by Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé Knowles)

Diggy Simmons - TBA

• "Mama Said" (featuring B.o.B and Key Wane)

2014

Big Sean - non-album singles

• "1st Quarter Freestyle" (co-produced by Travi$ Scott)^[30]
• "4th Quarter"^[31]

Ariana Grande - My Everything

• "Best Mistake" (featuring Big Sean)

Jhené Aiko - Souled Out

• "My Afternoon Dream"
• "Eternal Sunshine"

2015

Jazmine Sullivan - Reality Show

• 01. "Dumb" (featuring Meek Mill) (co-produced with Salaam Remi)
• 02. "Mascara"
• 04. "Silver Lining"
• 06. "Let It Burn"
• 07. "Veins"

Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise

• 04. "I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40) (add. production)
• 05. "Play No Games" (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign) (co-produced with Jay Henry)
• 09. "I Know" (featuring Jhené Aiko) (co-produced with DJ Mustard)
• 10. "Deep" (featuring Lil Wayne) (co-produced with DJ Mustard)
• 15. "Platinum & Wood"

Jordin Sparks - Right Here, Right Now

• 01. "Work From Home" (featuring B.o.B)
• 13. "100 Years"

References

External links

• Key Wane on Twitter
• Key Wane on Tumblr