Grammy winning artist Monte Booker is back to share a new single “b 2 b” featuring Mereba ahead of his debut album releasing this Friday. Monte’s debut album titled noise ( meaning ) showcases his vocals and comprehensive creative vision for the first time, weaving in the genre-blending, avant-garde beats he’s become known for. On “b 2 b” Mereba’s smooth vocals pair with Monte’s vibrant production. In addition to Mereba, the album includes features from Ravyn Lenae, Smino, Reggie, Nami and more. Speaking about the album Monte shares, “I want this album to be a reflection on what noise means to me, and I want it to be a celebration of my community.”

 

 

Monte began conceptualizing the project back in 2022, first envisioning it as a 50-song treatise on the way noise, sound, and music functioned in his life. To achieve something that was representative of his artistic vision, he, almost paradoxically, began to study just how impactful the artists he grew up with and the people he surrounds himself with have been and continue to be on his musical journey. Booker realized that everyone he encounters — whether fellow musicians or people at local restaurants, parks, the grocery store — impacts the way his music is shaped.

Monte Booker is known as a pioneering producer from Chicago, Illinois, celebrated for his otherworldly yet organic sound and genre-blurring approach. Since first diving into FL Studio in 2011, he’s drawn inspiration from artists like Kanye West, J Dilla, DJ Rashad, Thom Yorke, Flying Lotus, Aphex Twin and many others, shaping a sonic identity that’s instantly recognizable. Breaking out with his Soulection White Label EP in 2016, Monte became the heartbeat of the Zero Fatigue collective, crafting era-defining sounds for Smino and Ravyn Lenae, while also leaving his mark on Chicago’s 2010s scene with Mick Jenkins, Saba, and Noname. His signature drum sounds and textural production have influenced an entire generation of producers, and in 2020, his track Kolors (ft. Smino) became a viral sensation on TikTok. Post-pandemic, he’s collaborated with artists like Doechii, Kenny Mason, Timbaland, Pink Siifu, JID, Mavi, Vince Staples, J Cole and Mereba constantly evolving his sonic landscape.