Home Team • Monte Booker
Photo by Rene Marban
Age: 20 • Neighborhood: South Side • Follow: Twitter // Soundcloud
Monte Booker is a 20-year-old product of Chicago’s south side who has only been producing music since hearing Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 hit, “The Recipe”. Since then, he’s spent his time building relationships and his own brand as part of the up and coming collective Zero Fatigue. Before crafting songs with fellow Zero Fatigue members Smino, Jay2, and Ravyn Lenae, Monte Booker got started with the help of L Boogie of THEMpeople, the collective behind Mick Jenkins most recent EP, Wave[s], among other things. With a studio to work out of and an experienced mentor to guide his young career, Booker was given a significant advantage during his first steps into the world of music production.
Two years into the game, Monte Booker connected with Chris Classick of Classick Studios where he eventually met his Zero Fatigue cohorts. During a recording session with Smino, Monte Booker, still a stranger at the time, offered some advice on improving one of Smino’s instrumentals. Perhaps a bold move, but it paid off, and the two have been working together since.
After spearheading Ravyn Lenae’s recent debut Moon Shoes EP as the project’s executive producer, and the sole producer on Smino’s recently released S!CK S!CK S!CK EP, Monte Booker has assumed the backbone role for several of his close friends and is now gaining notoriety outside of Classick Studio’s walls. Although his demand has grown quickly over these last few months, Monte remains selective about who he chooses to work with and prefers to keep collaborations with artists personal. There’s something about creating with another artist in the same room as opposed to exchanging work via email, and Monte prefers the former.
Generating tens of thousands of listens on his instrumental tracks alone, Monte has quickly become recognized as one of the next production powerhouses emanating from Chicago’s still buzzing music scenes. With success knocking at his door at such a young age, you might expect ego to come with it, but that couldn’t be further from the truth in Monte's case. A joker to the core, Monte keeps the mood light and seems to be having nothing but fun with his craft and his peers.
Monte has yet to release a project of his own, but there is definitely something on the way. Monte tells us it will likely be a blend of straight instrumental cuts as well as some features from his equally talented friends. No release date yet, but we'll make sure to keep you updated along the way with the moves our Home Team artist Monte Booker is making.