Knxwledge "Don't Be Afraid"

...of the way you feel.

I saw one of my favorite producers in the world, Knxwledge, making headlines this week after announcing his permanent move from the U.S. to Japan. Knxwledge has not only worked with some of the top MCs in the game—including Kendrick Lamar, Roc Marciano, and Action Bronson—but he’s also one-half of the GRAMMY Award-winning duo NxWorries with Anderson .Paak.

I highlighted one of my favorite NxWorries songs, plus a handful of other Knxwledge darts, in this IP’S PICKS post from last September. Don’t sleep, I’ve been posting literally every day with no skips since last July. Holler at your boy.

To show support for Knxwledge’s move, I want to share a song from his 1988 producer project, which is loaded with fire. 1988 came out in 2020 and contains 22 tracks, the first of which is a flip of Kut Klose’s silky, ‘90s R&B slow jam “Surrender.”

Now peep how Knxwledge flipped it on 1988. The animated visualizer is ill, too.

IP’S PICK OF THE DAY 4/9/26: Knxwledge “Don’t Be Afraid”

There’s so much heat on 1988, most of which is instrumental, so I’m gonna attempt to pick out a few highlights that hopefully will inspire you to check out the entire body of work. “Do You,” which was the vocal-less single he dropped from 1988, is for sure worthy of inclusion.

And here’s some shit for the hip-hop heads out there to get your head nodding. This beat is fuckin’ crazy.

Last one off 1988, just because I love the joint he sampled so much and I wanna share that, too. The man has good taste!

Here’s the original by Tyrone Davis. Smooth.

Fuck, this post might get out of control, because there’s another old Tyrone Davis song I love that has been sampled more than a few times, and I’m gonna have to go in.

But first, my favorite flip of “Ain’t Nothing I Can Do” is actually an old Beyoncé song where she put her twist on a Bootsy Collins classic. I used to play this all the time when it first came out.

Shout to Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR—and Jay Worthy and Compton’s Most Wanted—who also rocked over “Ain’t Nothing I Can Do” samples. And speaking of Compton’s Most Wanted, their breakout star MC Eiht famously flipped another Tyrone Davis classic back in the ‘90s, “In The Mood.” Here are both songs.

Mad other heads sampled “In The Mood” too—from The Beatnuts to Fat Joe—but I’m gonna drop a more recent song by another R&B heavyweight that also features an artist I just posted about a few days back. Here’s some fly shit by Alicia Keys and Swae Lee titled “LALA” (which conveniently rhymes with Zaza).

This SWV song from ‘97 is great, too. Gotta include it.

I’ll leave you with three Knxwledge hip-hop productions before I get outta here that I didn’t get to in my NxWorries post back in September.

First—and props to Pro Era for rapping over a Knxwledge beat early—check out this song off the Joey Bada$$ 1999 tape featuring the late, great Capital STEEZ, “Killuminati.”

I posted one song Knxwledge did with Roc Marciano in that NxWorries post I keep referencing, but here’s another one that’s also fuego. They’re both off the same project.

Knxwledge ft. Roc Marciano “ibet.itdew_”

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And finally, this video edit Knxwledge made of a young Meek Mill rapping over one of his beats has 15 million views. You’ll see and hear why.

Damn, I blacked out again. Shout to everyone out there checking for IP’S PICKS on the daily. I’ll be back tomorrow.

Peace!