About a month ago, we reported the news that Kato had officially enlisted as a part of the SMKA group, and would be commemorating his inauguration with the mixtape, A Kato Production. That album is now available and includes tracks both old and new, with the entirety of the instrumentation laced by K-A-T-O, himself. Download the mixtape for free from DJBooth!

01. Jarren Benton – Justin Bieber (ft. Elz Jenkins)
02. Jarren Benton – Skitzo
03. Kalenna – Put It In The Bag (ft. B. Simm)
04. Cam Wallace – Stupid
05. Jarren Benton – Billion Bucks (ft. Rittz)
06. Planet VI – The Gift
07. Elz Jenkins – Like It’s ‘88
08. Vox Merger – More Reasons
09. Huey Mack – Good Night (ft. Kato)
10. Aleon Craft – Too Damn Cool (ft. Grip Plyaz)
11. Jarren Benton – Shut Up B*tch
12. Jarren Benton – 30,000 Feet (ft.Elz Jenkins)
13. Pounds – Dollar Off Rap
14. Jarren Benton – Losin’ It

Producer Kato has been keeping himself busy and it’s been announced that he’s joined the ranks of SMKA, an independent production group. To officially kick off his induction to the collective, he will be helming the boards for the upcoming project, the appropriately titled A Kato Production. The first leak off the album is a collab with Huey Mack on the feel-good joint, “Good Night“. Looking forward to the drop!

Huey Mack linked up with Kato on “Good Night,” which is the first leak off SMKA’s upcoming project, “A Kato Production.” A Kato Production is entirely produced by Kato and officially announces the addition of Kato to the SMKA production collective.

When they say producer du jour, Kato, is cooking up things for artists, most wouldn’t take that literally. But they may want to reconsider that position based on this music video for “Shut Up Bitch” by Jarren Benton. Not only did Kato provide the production for this heavy Southern track, but he’s got a cameo in the video too – doin’ his thing in the kitchen of course. Now, the video is a bit on the graphic side, so you’re gonna have to catch this one after the break.

Could this be an Asian-Am Southern Hip-Hop dream team? Kato has laced a new banger for the A’s Yellow Boyz called “Hit the Club“. K’s beats tend to always hit hard, so adding the YBZ would seem like a no-brainer. Fans are unlikely to be disappointed with this cut though I encourage you to find out how you like it for yourself. The new single is currently available via bandcamp and should be up on CDBaby & iTunes shortly. We’ll update with those links when they are up.

SHA is something of a niche site. In their own words, the site is

A look at notable Shaved Head Asians from the Asian diaspora making moves in their respective industries

Lucky for us, Kato is one such person that fits their criteria. So the result is a quick interview on the Southern producer based in Atlanta by way of VA. So if you’re looking to read a little more on the beat smith and occasional MC, check out the interview in full after the break or by making the jump over to SHA.

On a related note, I wonder what a Shaved Head Asian such as myself would need to do to get a feature =P.

Follow him @KatoProducer

I learned about Kato’s music on Twitter and soon enough began posting his work on this here Tumblr. As an up and coming beatmaker/producer Kato has taken it upon himself to work with up and coming rappers and do the occasional remix track for well-known girl K-pop groups. Read more about him right here…

How did you get into music production?

I’ve been playing instruments almost my whole life, and it was in my freshman year of college in Philly that I finally discovered the wonders of making this little thing I like to call rap music.

Which artists typically come to you looking for help?
Mostly up-and-coming, independent artists who have heard my music with artists I work with on the regular.

Tell us about your background. Where were you born and which city/town do you represent?
I was born and raised in Fairfax, VA. so I rep VA. to the fullest for my upbringing but I really credit Atlanta and the whole south for molding my sound into what it is today.
Why do you cut your hair low?

To keep my head cool in tense situations.

If you could produce for any artists who would it be?

To be honest, there aren’t really any established artists I’m dying to work with. I feel like they already have their own sound. I’m more concerned with creating something new with my team and my artists. I would however love to collaborate with more talented Korean & Asian-American artists.

What other producers do you look up too?

I was influenced by DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, J Dilla, Drumma Boy, Shawty Redd, DJ Toomp, and even the newer producers like Lex Luger and Sonny Digital.
Any shout-outs?

Shoutout to my team first and foremost – Jarren Benton (@JarrenBenton), Elz Jenkins (@ELzJenkins), Sam (@FACECARDENT) and all the people that support my music, tweet about it, and post that shit on facebook. And thanks to all the other shaved head asians just like me.

Atlanta based producer Kato had the opportunity to link up with a few notable Kyopo talents including The Yellow Boyz and Chan via his new group Money Maker$. If you recall, the YBZ have been going back and forth to Korea, exploring a number of opportunities – one of which includes connecting with Chan, another MC who has migrated from the states and made a name for his self over there. Chan has been busy developing artists under his own label – Dynasty Muzik, the first being a young duo called the Money Maker$. And there you have it, the official debut of a new group courtesy of various international talent.

Producer & recording artist from Atlanta, Kato, started a mixtape series called T.I.M.E. back in 2009 (short for This is My Everything). Since then she’s dropped a mixtape every year featuring the latest batch of tracks using his production, and occasionally his vocals. Vol. 3 dropped today and Kato seems to be absent from behind the mic this time around, although you still get 15 tracks of his latest beats, graced by artists such as Jarren Benton, Elz Jenkins, The Canz, Kalenna of Dirty Money, and perhaps most notably – Mistah Fab. As is his MO, this is another completely free DL, so get it now!

Bback over/tracklist can be found after the break.

KTLwebmag would like to present Kato!

Kato is a producer, rapper, and song writer from Virgina who relocated to Atlanta many years back. We got an exclusive interview with Kato in his studio where he crafts some of the meanest beats down south!

Before we had a chance to meet Kato, we already heard (from some of our other sources) that Kato produces some sick beats, so we couldn’t help ourselves but to ask Kato if he would play us some of his beats! We really didn’t know what to expect cause you know how people over exaggerate some times, but let us tell you from first hand experience that as soon as Kato started to play his beats; we thought we just met the Asian Dr. Dre!

Kato is doing some big things for not only the community, but for all the people out there that’s grinding in the music industry. He wants to encourage other artists to continue what they are doing for the music industry as well as for their fans, and inspire others to continue to stay passionate in whatever they do.