He works with Ariana Grande, SZA and Tia Ray: meet Grammy-winning producer Khris Riddick-Tynes, whose early music ‘sucked’
- Khris Riddick-Tynes, who got his start with legendary songwriter Babyface, talks about why ‘music and melodies see no border and colour’
- He reflects on his work with the likes of Toni Braxton and Tia Ray, the pitfalls of TikTok and social media, and going back to school to pick up a law degree
“Everything is genetic. The ability to hear music and put it together is definitely a gift, but it’s nothing without practice,” says Khris Riddick-Tynes, the 32-year-old producer who took home best R&B song at February’s Grammys for his work on SZA’s double-platinum single “Snooze”.
And by genetic, he means generational, too. Riddick-Tynes’ father, Kenny Tynes, was a member of Randy & The Gypsys, a short-lived soul group led by the youngest Jackson brother; his grandmother Maria Tynes was a Motown songwriter who started in the 1960s; and his godfather, Neal Pogue, was a famed audio engineer for P!nk, TLC, Outkast and Nicki Minaj.
“Music and melodies see no border and colour, it’s just this spiritual and unexplainable thing that affects and touches people in different ways,” says Riddick-Tynes. “I envision what it feels like when someone is alone in their room, because if you can touch one person, you can touch 20 million – that’s my main thing.”
The musician is now the vice-president of Arista Records’ Artists and Repertoire division, which oversees the artistic development of talent under the Sony-owned label. But long before his recent stint scouting the scene in Beijing, his entry into the industry came by way of Antonio Dixon, the producer behind Grammy-winning albums by Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Toni Braxton and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.