Finding community in a hip-hop producer’s Twitch stream

Illustration by Lyssa Park for The Verge

I was looking for something to make me happy in May 2020. I wanted to feel hopeful as the world had become dark. I decided to look in the most obvious place: twitch. I was able to find the Kenny Beats stream on twitch.

Kenny Beats is best known for his work with some of the biggest names in music. He will make a beat for artists in 10 minutes. I was a fan of his music, but I didn't know much about Kenny, he was just a name in a list of song credits that I liked.

I was not a regular streamer before 2020. I didn't want to pay my bills because I didn't want to return to my normal life, but I found out that Kenny Beats was streaming on the platform. I decided to take a look at it.

One of the hottest producers in hip-hop showed hundreds of people how to make music. He gave back to the next generation of musicians by sharing the secrets of the trade. It was a good way to pass the time, like sitting in on a professor's class on a subject you are not currently taking.

The community became a bigger part of the experience as time went on, with certain usernames instantly recognizable and offering consistent content for Kenny to feed on. Kenny began to do a series called the pain chat, where viewers could submit questions for him to answer about various trials in their lives The Beat Battles were where subscribers were given a sample and given a set amount of time to make a beat, submit it, and have it voted on by other viewers. The winners of the Beat Battles have received gifts and opportunities because of the stream.

Kenny makes music that is similar to watching athletes play sports or streamers play video games. Someone operating at the top of their game is always fun to watch. I find myself pitching my friends crazy ideas in an attempt to recreate the environment that Kenny has created.

Kenny and the community are welcoming to people like me who are not in the music business. Kenny answers dumb questions about the process of making music instead of making the stream just for experienced producers. He had to explain the breadth of a producer's role on stream and I didn't understand how someone could produce while not touching a mouse or keyboard. You can feel Kenny's gratitude for the audience he has and for the audience to have his art in the world. The community support channel is one of the places where people can get help with their more serious life issues.

I attended the Don't Over Think Shit show in Central Park in 2021. The people in that crowd were not strangers. The people I was talking to on twitch were the people I was listening to and supporting. The person who helped me navigate the subway was one of the people I made friends with. The tone of love and positive vibes was set by Kenny on stream. I don't know how to make music, but I have seen how to build a relationship with your fans that is meaningful and long-term.

Kenny Beats has streamed for 40 days in a row. It was the final day of that streak. He is talking on stream about taking a break from streaming. I would be sad to lose the stream, but I wouldn't be giving up everything. The people in his channel care about each other and want to support one another. The community is still here.

David is a graduate of Penn State University and works in television production. He hosts a sports focused show.