It’s natural to be skeptical of the ‘nepo babies’ of the world. We’ve seen plenty of talented people never receive their rightful success, all because they didn’t have the right connections. There was no angel investor in their corner or someone they knew vouching for them to move up the ladder. However, there have been a number of celebrities who people felt didn’t deserve their fame. Their skills might be severely lacking, especially in comparison to others in their field. Alas, they made it big because of their proximity to famous people.
Consequently, the emergence of North West, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s daughter, as a legitimate producer has been shocking. Despite being from one of the most famous families ever, she’s quietly gone under the radar for her music. At the start of the year, she revealed that she made “Justswagup” for Lil Wayne’s kid, Lil Novi. The song isn’t much to write home about, but what was particularly noteworthy was North West’s early development as a producer. Mind you, she’s only 12 years old.
North West Shows Surprising Development As a Producer at 12
So how does Kanye’s daughter get to this point where she’s genuinely surprising rap fans? The instinct is to consider her a prodigy of her father. There’s a serious studiousness to her production that suggests this is a little more than flatly slapping AI together or combining simple loops on GarageBand. “JustSwagup” and her subsequent teasers demonstrate an intense understanding of what makes modern underground hip-hop tick. The wily, lawless synth that Playboi Carti and his Opium label have pushed forward. An emphasis on distortion. Additionally, North West tactfully leaves enough space for rappers to do their best impressions of Whole Lotta Red and Die Lit.
With parents like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, North’s connections are undeniable. When the aspiring producer wanted to go see Ken Carson with her and her friends, it was admittedly a seamless process. However, the crucial difference is that the young West doesn’t seem to take those things for granted. The work doesn’t come off as lazy in the slightest. Whether it’s among the best beats out right now is besides the point. She’s 12. The fact that there is a real love for the craft should be something worth encouraging.
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