KHAO

Acknowledging his father as the catalyst of his work ethic built on the “patience, silence, and consistency” motto, Khao continues to ascend, while never forgetting about the indie movement, providing opportunities for others’ growth, and raising the bar in musical production.
Starting out with his own mix show as a DJ for Hot 105 WZHT in his hometown of Montomery, Alabama, super-producer, Kevin “Khao” Cates embodies the multifaceted elements resembling that of many veterans in the industry. From working in radio and helping Hip-Hop independents break ground to producing for Universal recording artists and being asked to appear as a featured artist himself, Khao’s talents are undeniable and humbly possessed. His passion for helping others has manifested into a career that has his name being mentioned in the realm of triple threats [producer, writer, and artist].
The following in ’98, the self asserted “People’s Champ” made his move to Atlanta, GA, further positioning himself on the music scene. Not until years later, after studying Computer Science at Troy University, working 9-5’s, and ghost producing, simultaneously, did Cates run into Geter again.
Through a chance meeting with then independent, Grand Hustle Chief ,Jason Geter, in 1997, Khao decided to focus the majority of his efforts on production, simultaneously achieving his first major placement with Universal recording group, Dirty. The re-connect with Geter would prove to put him several steps closer to his breakout success with T.I.’s “Why You Wanna,” winning the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award for Best Rap Song in 2006. Overseeing the development of Grand Hustle mix tapes and doing production for other GH artists naturally lead to another golden opportunity to place two tracks on T.I.’s multi-platinum 2002 release, Urban Legend and 4 placements on T.I.’s multi-platinum 2006 release, King. Utilizing his many connections, Cates also developed a consulting firm, Intaprize, for the undiscovered talent of his hometown, while becoming the first Hip-Hop artist/producer to have his own phone card and lottery sssweepstakes.
While building his track record and a keeping a working wish-list around of Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson and Eminem, the phones are ringing off the hook for a range of tunes. Namely, Khao supplied the title track to R.Kelly’s critically acclaimed Double Up LP.
Now, having done songs for the likes of R.Kelly, T.I., Ruben Studdard, Lil’ Kim, Young Jeezy, Snoop Dogg, Pharell Williams, Ludacris, Young Dro, Chingy, Yung Joc, Dead Prez, Goapele, Paul Wall and Trick Daddy, Khao continues to exceed expectations by producing hits in and out of the Hip-Hop genre, including R&B, Pop, and Country for the likes of Amerie, Ashley Tisdale and Taylor Swift respectively.