Monte Booker Explained

Monte Booker
Birth Name:	Ahmanti Booker
Birth Date:	27 March 1995
Birth Place:	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years Active:	2013–present
Label:	Zero Fatigue

Ahmanti Booker (born March 27, 1995), professionally known as Monte Booker is an American record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He is part of the musical collective Zero Fatigue, and has worked with artists such as Smino, Ravyn Lenae, Noname, Saba, Mick Jenkins, Sango, Ari Lennox and JID, among others.^[1] ^[2]

Career

Monte Booker grew up in the South Side of Chicago listening to artists such as Outkast, Gucci Mane, Radiohead and Coldplay.^[3] He started producing in 2011 with FL Studio incorporating trap music and jazz as well as organic sounds in his music.^[4] In 2013, he met St. Louis artists Smino, Jay2 and Bari through studio manager Chris Classick, and joined the collective Zero Fatigue, along with Ravyn Lenae. He also became a member of Soulection Radio and released an EP on October 23, 2015, as part of their White Label series. The song "Kolors" became a viral hit in 2020 from TikTok streams, entering the Spotify's Viral 50 Charts.^[5]

Booker went on to produce projects for Zero Fatigue such as blkjuptr, Moon Shoes, Midnight Moonlight, blkswn, Noir, and MSTRGLSS.^[6] In 2016, he also worked with Chicago artists Noname, Mick Jenkins, and Saba on the albums Telefone, The Healing Component, and Bucket List Project.

In 2019, Booker was invited to Dreamville's recording sessions for the compilation Revenge of the Dreamers III by J. Cole. He produced three songs on the album, "Late Night", "Spin Move", and "Passcode".^[7] In 2020 and 2021, he has worked with other artists including Spillage Village and VanJess.^[8] On February 1, 2021, Booker released an instrumental mixtape titled Lil Sounds Tape.^[9]

Artistry

Monte Booker has credited producers such as Timbaland, Flying Lotus, The Neptunes, and Kanye West, as his major influences. Speaking about this, he said "what [they were] doing with music kind of inspired me to incorporate my influence to make it my own type of vibe."^[10] ^[3] His sound has been described as percussive and organic production with "an eclectic amalgamation of Hip-Hop, R&B, and melody-heavy electronic sounds."^[11]

Discography

Extended plays

Soulection White Label: 016 (2015)

Instrumental mixtapes

Lil Sounds Tape (2021)

Production discography

2014

Smino - Smellin Like a Re-Up

00. "Smellin Like a Re-Up"

2015

Smino - S!Ck S!Ck S!Ck

01. "Ruby Red"
02. "Ballet" (featuring Bari)
03. "Raw"

Ravyn Lenae - Moon Shoes

01. "Venezuela Trains"
03. "Blossom Dearie"
04. "Recess"
05. "Free Room"
06. "Sleep Talking"
08. "Everything Above"

Monte Booker - Soulection White Label: 016

01. "Flight"
02. "Kolors" (featuring Smino)
03. "Homealone"
04. "Baby" (featuring Ravyn Lenae)

Smino - Blkjuptr

01. "Blkjuptr"
02. "Zoom"
03. "Runnin'" (featuring Jay2)
04. "Poppa" (featuring Julian Bell)
05. "Oxygen"

Smino - Ciabatta

00. "Ciabatta"

2016

Smino - Kajun

00. "Kajun" (featuring Jean Deaux & Phoelix)

Ravyn Lenae - Alive

00. "Alive"

Noname - Telefone

02. "Sunny Duet" (with theMIND) (produced with Cam O'bi)

Mick Jenkins - The Healing Component

14. "Angles" (featuring Xavier Omär & Noname) (produced with Cam O'bi & THEMpeople)

Saba - Bucket List Project

12. "California" (featuring Ravyn Lenae & Phoelix) (produced with Phoelix & Daoud)

2017

Ravyn Lenae - Midnight Moonlight

02. "Unknown"
03. "Spice" (solo or remix with Smino)
04. "Hiatus (Interlude)"
05. "Oxygen"
06. "Sleep Talking"

Sango - De Mim, Pra Você

06. "Bem-Estar"

Smino - Blkswn

01. "Wild Irish Roses"
02. "Maraca"
03. "Glass Flows"
04. "Flea Flicka" (featuring Bari)
05. "Spit Shine"
06. "Netflix & Dusse"
07. "Anita"
08. "Lobby Kall"
09. "Edgar Allen Poe'd Up" (featuring theMIND)
11. "B Role"
12. "Blkoscars" (featuring Jay2)
14. "Long Run" (featuring Via Rosa) (produced with Phoelix)
15. "Innamission"
16. "Silk Pillows" (featuring Akenya) (produced with THEMpeople)
17. "Ricky Millions" (featuring Drea Smith) (produced with J. Bird)
18. "Amphetamine" (featuring Bari, Jean Deaux & Noname) (produced with Phoelix & J.Robb)

Roseangelica - Butta

00. "Butta"

Bari - Protein

00. "Protein"

Hoosier Scott - Shade Spectrum

04. "How Would I?"

Didi Park - Neon Bandages

06. "B&W Movies are Voodoo" (produced with JNTHN STEIN)
08. "Method Acting"

Zero Fatigue - Manegos

00. "Manegos" (featuring Bari, Smino, and Jay2)

Monte Booker - KOMPANY

00. "KOMPANY" (featuring Phoelix & Smino)

2018

Phoelix - TEMPO

14. "Taranphoeno" (featuring Smino and Jean Deaux) (produced with Phoelix)

KYLE - Light of Mine

11. "ShipTrip"

Smino - NØIR

03. "Klink"
05. "Spinz"
06. "Summer Salt" (featuring Bari)
07. "Z4L" (featuring Bari & Jay2)
08. "Merlot"
09. "We Got The Biscuits"
12. "Low Down Derrty Blues"
13. "Fenty Sex" (featuring Dreezy)
14. "Bam 2x"
18. "Verizon" (produced with Da-P)

Bari - The Prefix

01. "Tortas"
02. "Glacier"
03. "Intrigue" (featuring Smino)

Zara Bash - Heaven on Earth

05. "Bad4Me" (featuring Ty Safari)

2019

Young Pink - MSTRGLSS

01. "Ooze"
04. "Relax"
05. "Ice Cup"
06. "Eya"
08. "Luhbish"
10. "Caress"
11. "Fluid"
12. "Joi"
13. "Stamina"

Ash Jetson - 814CK.HO13

04. "used to."

Monte Booker - Interstellar

00. "Interstellar" (featuring Bari)

Jay2 - 4 Tha Wait

01. "Are You OK?"
02. "Pomegranate"
04. "Dork" (featuring Smino)
05. "Dropped"
07. "Shoppin'"

MFnMelo - What a Life

00. What a Life (featuring Saba)

MFnMelo- Everybody Eats

04. "Flow Seats"
09. "Notice"
10. "What a Life" (featuring Saba)

ICECOLDBISHOP - Creep

00. Creep (featuring Mick Jenkins) (produced with Naz)

Smino - High 4 Da Highladays

01. "Sleigh" (featuring Monte Booker & Masego) (produced with Masego)

2020

Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers III: Director's Cut

22. "Late Night" (with Cozz and Omen featuring Buddy and Landstrip Chip)
23. "Spin Move" (with Bas featuring Saba, Smino and The Hics)
26. "Passcode" (with Ari Lennox featuring Buddy, Smino, Mez and Guapdad 4000) (produced with Christo)

Ravyn Lenae - Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 4

09. "Rewind" (produced with Phoelix)

Hansel Mac - Limbo

01. "Mario" (featuring Saiki Music & Zagor)

Smino - Madden NFL 21

14. "Backstage Pass" (with Monte Booker and The Drums)

Spillage Village - Spilligion

06. "Judas" (with JID featuring Ari Lennox, Buddy, Chance the Rapper and Masego) (additional production from Mesita)

Femdot - Buy One, Get One Free Vol. 1

01. "Lifetime" (featuring Saba)

Bari - Fuck It... Burn It All Down

13. "One Night"
15. "Heart Is Valuable"

Plvto - Hangout 4

04. "Apple"
06. "Hues"

Florence The Infinite - This Ain't That

00. "This Ain't That" (featuring Bunge)

Lord Red - Tired

00. "Tired"

2021

Monte Booker - Lil Sounds Tape

01. "Maple"
02. "Stay"
03. "Feels Good"
04. "Astro"
05. "Shordie"
06. "I Been Rollin" (produced with Phoelix)
07. "Transition"
08. "I Luv U All"
09. "FM"

VanJess - Homegrown

03. "Roses" (produced with Da-P)

Jay2 - Send Heartss

02. "As Cold As It Gets"

Symphani Soto - Energy

00. "Energy"

reggie - Ain't Gon Stop Me

00. "Ain't Gon Stop Me" (produced with Kenny Beats)

Felly - Everybody Loves You

00. "Everybody Loves You" (featuring Kota the Friend)

Vince Staples - Vince Staples

05. "Taking Trips" (produced with Kenny Beats)

Pink Siifu - Gumbo'!

15. "Voicemails Uptown" (featuring Monte Booker, Turich Benjy, Lance Skiiiwalker, JayBee Lamahj, VCR & Nelson Bandela)

Shane Eagle - Skydream

00. "Skydream"

Maxo Kream - Weight of the World

07. "Don't Play With Shawty Ass" (produced with Naz)
11. "Whole Lotta" (produced with Teej)
16. "Believe" (featuring Don Toliver) (produced with Smino)

Mick Jenkins - Elephant In the Room

09. "Truffles" (produced with Renzell)

2022

Saba - Few Good Things

08. "A Simpler Time" (featuring Mereba) (produced with Daoud & Jacob Rochester)

JayBaby TheGreaty - Orange Belt

07. "2 Fired Up"

Ravyn Lenae - Hypnos

02. "Venom"
08. "Higher"
09. "3D" (featuring Smino) (produced with Phoelix)
10. "Satellites" (produced with Luke Titus & Steve Lacy)
11. "Lullabye"

JID - The Forever Story

01. "Galaxy"
12. "Just in Time" (featuring Kenny Mason and Lil Wayne) (produced with Christo)
15. "Lauder Too" (featuring Ravyn Lenae and Eryn Allen Kane) (produced with James Blake, Thundercat and Groove)

Pandi - #Batposting

01. "Precious"

Mavi - Laughing So Hard It Hurts

03. "Baking Soda" (produced with Amarahbeats)
12. "Trip" (featuring Amindi) (produced with AmarahBeats)

Smino - Luv 4 Rent

01. "4rm Da Source"
02. "No L's" (produced with Karl Banx)
03. "90 Proof" (featuring J. Cole) (produced with Groove)
04. "Pro Freak" (featuring Doechii & Fatman Scoop) (produced with Childish Major, Phoelix, DJ Dahi & Nami)
05. "Ole Ass Kendrick" (produced with prodxvzn)
06. "Louphoria" (featuring Cruza) (produced with Adam Sylvester, AJ Thomas & AmarahBeats)
07. "Blu Billy"
09. "Modennaminute" (featuring Lucky Daye & Phoelix) (produced with Phoelix)
11. "Garden Lady" (produced with Smino, Sucuki & Phoelix)
12. "Settle Down" (featuring Cory Henry & Ravyn Lenae) (produced with Charlie Myles)
14. "Curtains" (produced with Cory Henry)

Tours

Headlining

European Tour (2016)
Europe Tour (2017)
Kouple Drillz Tour (2018)
North America Tour (2018)

Supporting

ITCO Tour (2018)

Notes and References

Web site: Terry . Josh . Interview: How St. Louis rapper Smino found his path in Chicago . Chicago Tribune. 7 August 2016 .
Web site: Mahadevan . Tara . Chicago's Zero Fatigue Collective Comes to St. Louis for the Biggest Vibes Showcase Yet . River Front Times.
Web site: Brinkley . Vanice . Monte Booker's Hip-Hop & Soul Productions Are Based in Found Sound . Bandcamp. 4 January 2019 .
Web site: Drake . David . Zero Fatigue: Chicago's Next Hip-Hop Visionaries . Pitchfork. 4 February 2016 .
Web site: Monte Booker's 2015 Smino Collaboration "Kolors" Is Experiencing A TikTok-Fueled Resurgence . Genius.
Web site: Zero Fatigue: Chicago's Next Hip-Hop Visionaries . Pitchfork . 4 February 2016 . 29 December 2018.
Web site: Chesman . Donna-Claire . Monte Booker Only Loves Music—Fame Is Second . DJBooth. 25 February 2019 .
Web site: Spillage Village Returns With Their Fourth Compilation Album 'Spilligion' . OkayPlayer. 25 September 2020 .
Web site: Miller . Austin . Monte Booker Lays Down Masterful Beats On New Mixtape, 'lil sounds tape' . This Song is Sick. 2 February 2021 .
Web site: Why Monte Booker matters: A look into the future of Chicago's sound . Kulture Hub. 17 September 2017 .
Web site: "Not no Fame Shit, None of That": An Interview with Smino & Monte . PassionWeiss. 13 September 2016 .