( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) A Timeline of the Rapper and Songwriter BEAM’s Career
ENSPIRE Contributor: Sophia Kang
With two Grammy nominations and a debut album on the way, rapper-songwriter Tyshane Thompson is living up to his stage name BEAM, which stands for “Be Everything And More.”
Thompson, son of reggae and dancehall legend Papa San, grew up in the recording studio. “I didn’t start messing around with [music] until I was ten,” he said, “but the smell of the studio is probably one of my earliest memories.” After earning his first production credits as a teenager, Thompson went on to produce and write for 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti, and Lecrae’s 2012 album Gravity, which won “Best Gospel Album” at the 2013 Grammy Awards.
“I definitely learned a lot [as a producer and songwriter], especially about the business side of things in the industry, but I still felt that I needed more,” he said. In 2019, Thompson released his debut EP 95, which was featured on NPR’s Music Staff Picks: The Best Albums of 2019. “The gratification I felt,” he said, “[told] me that this is something I want to do forever.”
In November, Thompson released “ANXIETY,” the first teaser to his upcoming debut album. Highsnobiety described the song as a “dark trap universe” with “lazer-sharp bars [that] kick down the door into his world riddled with street setups and anxiety.” On January 15, Thompson released “WIN.”
But rising performer Thompson’s songwriting days are far from behind him. He is currently nominated for two Grammy Awards for his contributions to Kanye West’s Donda, for which he co-wrote “Pure Souls” and “Ok Ok pt 2,” and Justin Bieber’s Justice, for which he co-wrote “There She Go.” Thompson was also featured on Justice‘s “Love You Different.”
Thompson “has his sights set on becoming the biggest artist in the world.” Based on the recognition he’s already received as a producer, songwriter, and artist, we think he’s on his way to doing just that. Keep up with his musical journey on Instagram.
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