Leven Kali (pronounced: Lay-Vin Kah-Li) is driven to create new forms of light while standing proudly in the shadows of legends. The Dutch-born, L.A.-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist is as reverent as he is boundary-pushing. His dynamic early mixtapes — Low Tide (2019) and HIGHTIDE (2020), with collabs from Syd, Smino, and Ty Dolla $ign — put the actual soul back into modern soul music, and he’s shared his gift with others, writing and producing for the likes of Drake, Teddy Swims, Playboy Carti, and Beyoncé. He even took home a GRAMMY for his work on Renaissance, but his new solo material may be his most ambitious. Take “Are U Still,” a fluid mix of spiritual jazz, intimate R&B, breezy soul, and playful groove that feels virtuosic, yes, but also loose and live as the instruments pull you through genres, eras, and scenes — all in 4 minutes. “This is what I’ve been trying to do,” says Leven. “I’m getting closer to what I’ve been hearing in my head.” To listen is to know he’s spent his young life steeped in sound. His folks are professional musicians who’ve supported his every move (even contributing to his songs). By 2017, Quincy Jones was attending Leven’s shows and calling him “the future.” Recently, he had a jam session with George Clinton, completing the Venn diagram of inspiration that best defines Leven’s approach: compositional genius plus experimental fervor. Leaning into sounds that “feel adventurous,” as he puts it, Leven taps into the past while building the future.
