K-Salaam
K-Salaam, born Kayvon Sarfehjooy in 1977, is a Producer, Turntablist, and Educator from Minneapolis, MN of Iranian-American heritage.Career
After releasing two critically acclaimed mixtapes The Hands of Time and Real DJs Do Real Things he joined with Beatnick to form Beatnick & K-Salaam Productions. Their first album, The World Is Ours, was released on August 25, 2006 through their own label. The album was then re-released by VP Records / Universal as Whose World is This in 2008. Featured on this release were a number of prolific underground hip hop artists, such as: Mos Def, Dead Prez, Papoose, Saigon and Talib Kweli, and reggae artists such as Capleton, Sizzla, Luciano and Anthony B. The music fuses reggae and hip hop, and incorporates socially conscious themes.
Beatnick & K-Salaam went on to produce more albums as well as songs for internationally acclaimed artists such as: Keane, Trey Songz, K’naan, Talib Kweli, Lil Wayne, Bun B, Lowkey, Sizzla, Nas, Freddie Gibbs, Buju Banton, Junior Reid, Hollywood Undead, Collie Buddz, Tech N9ne, Femi Kuti and many more. The duo traveled to Brazil and produced Emicida’s entire album, :pt:Doozicabraba e a Revolução Silenciosa|Doozicabraba e a Revolução Silenciosa, released in 2011, resulting in Emicida receiving Brazil's MTV's 2011 Artist of the Year Award.
The duo also produced more songs with Emicida, as well as all of the songs on: Murs & Fashawn's album 'This Generation', Rael's :pt:Ainda Bem Que Eu Segui As Batidas Do Meu Coração|Ainda Bem Que Eu Segui as Batidas do Meu Coração, and Smif-n-Wessun’s Born and Raised. Moreover, from 2011 - 2013, the duo did sound design for Lauryn Hill. - Creating custom made synth sounds & samples for the keyboard player & Drummer for her live shows.
In 2016, the duo went on to score music for NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games. Their music has been featured in multiple video games, TV shows, & commercials.
K-Salaam's production skills and expertise are sought after by music professionals throughout the world, in which he has taught at various Vice TV music production seminars in Brazil, & New York's Scratch Academy. He also taught at the Inst. of Audio Research for 4 years, before the school shut down, and he teaches his own customized course “The Virtual Producer” every Summer at NYU's
Clive Davis School of Recorded Music in New York City. K-Salaam also teaches and co-runs a Music Production & Audio Engineer Program at Douglas College in Vancouver, BC.
