“Watching Sounwave
inspired me to be the
engineer I am today.
His work ethic, discipline
and creative hunger are
all second to none.”
—DEREK “MIXEDBYALI” ALI,
TOP DAWG ENTERTAINMENT/
ENGINE EARS
THE LEGACY
To Pimp a Butterfly hit No. 1 on
the Billboard 200 and Top Rap Albums
charts and spent 125 and 79 weeks
on each, respectively.
The album earned 11 Grammy
nominations — including for album,
song and record of the year (“Alright”) —
and one win for best rap song.
Sounwave and collaborators on
Lamar’s DAMN. won the Pulitzer Prize
for Music in 2018, the first time a
rap release ever received the honor.
My Billboard Moment
Sounwave photographed by
Gari Askew II on Feb. 27 in Los Angeles.
Sounwave
SONGWRITER-PRODUCER
(^)
Compton, Calif., native Sounwave, born
Mark Spears, is an in-house producer at
the record label Top Dawg Entertainment and has
had a hand in every release from rapper Kendrick
Lamar since his self-titled debut EP in 2009,
including Black Panther: The Album (2018) and
the albums DAMN. (2017) and To Pimp a Butterfly
(2015). Sounwave, who has also produced for Ab-
Soul, Jay Rock, Bleachers and St. Vincent, recalls
the Grammy Award-winning success of Lamar’s
jazz- and funk-inspired Butterfly.
In 2014 we took a very important trip to South
Africa, which opened our eyes to our homeland
and touched us in a very special way. That’s
when this album started. Sitting in [Nelson]
Mandela’s house in Johannesburg, we said, “This
is the sound, this is the message.” It was some-
thing we had to get out. We felt it from deep in
our hearts. Kendrick trusted me in building the
album’s very delicate sound. It all unfolded as we
picked the lineup, including collaborations with
jazz players Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington,
Robert Glasper and my guy Thundercat.
Of course, we were surprised it hit No. 1 [on
the Billboard 200], but to spend 125 weeks on
the chart with an album like this that represents
the culture was amazing. Just being there at
the Grammys, the energy was electric. Once
“Alright” won [best rap song], it was the cherry
on top. I haven’t matched that feeling.
To get a No. 1 or Grammy, it solidifies that
you’re actually doing something good and not
just wasting your time. We don’t work toward
those things, but when it happens, man, it’s a
good feeling. —AS TOLD TO NICK WILLIAMS
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64 BILLBOARD • MARCH 14, 2020