Listen to Especially for Ladies / Especially for Guys

Nova Scotian producer Darrell Kelloway, professionally known as DK, has created a distinct signature sound from a blend of love experience that—at its core—has one primary objective: making listeners feel good. "Music found me," he says humbly, noting that his father used to play a lot of classic rock around the house and his grandma (who lived next door) played the organ in church. Ultimately it was his personal exploration of music and a deep love of jazz and soul that molded his sound. His production is a meticulous mixture of vinyl-sampled drums, analog synthesizers, dusty loops, and live instrumentation. As DK himself explains it, a modern take on the timeless hip-hop aura forged in the 90s. To date, he's released two projects, 2012's "Feeding the Soul of the City" (his debut full-length instrumental LP) and a 2015 collaborative EP with Brooklyn rapper Justo the MC titled "Oxygen." His upcoming EP though, "Soul Expressions," will be the true pinnacle of his odyssey thus far—featuring a host of guests from coast to coast. As a producer, his career aspirations are as pure as they come: from not only leaving a comprehensive discography of solo projects behind but lending his sound to other artists as well. Not merely dropping off instrumentation either; DK hopes to develop and champion quality artists alongside building his brand.