Leven Kali

Songwriter, vocalist, and producer Leven Kali crafts densely layered R&B whose lyrics draw from an uncommonly intimate viewpoint. Initial guest spots alongside Drake and Playboi Carti, together with a semi-viral collaboration alongside Syd, created momentum that carried him into reflective, finely shaded solo work such as the 2020 full-length Hightide and the 2022 EP Let It Rain.

Born in Holland to a family steeped in music, Kali grew up in Santa Monica, California. Shortly after leaving his teenage years behind, he gained notice through prominent joint appearances, among them verses on 2017 releases by Drake and Playboi Carti. Those placements were quickly followed by his own material, beginning with the futuristic R&B cut “Yours” in June 2017 and continuing with “Do U Wrong” in early 2018, which included former Odd Future affiliate Syd. Later in 2018 came the three-song EP I Get High When I Think About Us; 2019 brought his debut album-length effort, Low Tide. The following year he issued Hightide, featuring appearances from Topaz Jones, Smino, Ty Dolla $ign, and additional guests. In 2022 he dropped multiple singles and gathered several of them into the club-flavored Let It Rain EP.