In a music industry where staying relevant among ever-changing consumer tastes, label politics, and innovation is next to impossible, Sidney “S.I.D.” Reynolds has found steady work with some of the biggest names in the business for close to three decades. After crafting the Suzanne Vega-sampling hit “Daddy’s Little Girl” for pioneering Def Jam artist Nikki D in 1990, S.I.D. produced, remixed, and wrote tracks for Color Me Badd, Freddie Foxxx, Slick Rick, Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature, and Zhane.

As S.I.D.’s production credits continued to evolve and grow, his vocation as a producer eventually became a family affair when he welcomed his son Javon “Von” Reynolds into the world in the late 90s. Von accompanied his father to the studio early and often, where he would quietly absorb the creative energy flowing around him. One day a young Von took notice of his dad’s MPC sampler and showed a natural affinity for it right away. 

“He spent a lot of time on my MPC,” says S.I.D. “I remember him just sitting and messing with the pads. That played a big, critical role in everything that happened after that.”

Those early years of studio immersion proved crucial for Von, as he soon developed into a competent producer as a teenager. “He had to be about 15 and he had my Mac one day,” S.I.D. remembers. “I think it was GarageBand—I hadn’t taught him how to do anything with it yet. He had the computer in the room and he came back out with a beat playing. I was like, ‘Where’d you get that beat?’ He said, ‘I did it.’”

Von’s skills evolved quickly as he taught himself Logic while he learned how to use Pro Tools and different studio mixing boards. Before S.I.D. knew it, he and his son had morphed into the father/son production duo The Superiors. “Von did get a head start, but he just had that natural knack to learn on his own,” says S.I.D. “He has a higher technical knowledge than most kids his age. He’s only 21, but he’s got that engineer’s ear.”

Since becoming an official production team, The Superiors have already amassed credits with artists like Lloyd Banks, Fabolous, French Montana, Uncle Murda, and T.I in a mere matter of years. The duo prides themselves in being able to adapt to any sound or style, pushing themselves to work with a broad range of artists both in and outside of rap music. “We can’t stay in a box,” says S.I.D. “It’s a much bigger world out there than just hip-hop. We just try to be open to whatever we’re feeling right now.”

Through their combined experience, The Superiors have developed a keen ear for talent that stands out in an over-saturated industry. So their curiosity was immediately piqued when Black Count founder Roget Romain introduced them to a rising star on his imprint named Kameechi. “There’s something special about Kameechi,” says S.I.D. “When I met him and I spoke with him I felt the presence of an old soul, man. The kid is young, but I spoke to him I felt like I was speaking to a peer.”

This mutual respect between Kameechi and S.I.D. soon developed into a working relationship when The Superiors started submitting beats to Roget for Kameechi’s consideration. Cranking out track after track for their exciting new collaborator, it wasn’t long before Von cooked up the instrumental that would eventually morph into “16 Diamonds”, Kameechi’s hit single that recently broke Hot 97’s top ten playlist.

Utilizing a bouncy, upbeat mix of instrumentation, S.I.D. and Von gave extra care to making sure the song’s percussion was just right. “Von did the major framework on it,” says S.I.D. “I just touched up a few things on the drums. We’ve collected a lot of big drums and he learned how to beef up the sounds above what most catalog drums would sound like. We have a system where once a drum pattern is up, we’ll add old drums under the bottom just to give it a different ambiance.”

In addition to being drum perfectionists, S.I.D. and Von apply the same level of dedication to every aspect of working with an artist. So when Roget signed off on the use of the “16 Diamonds” instrumental, The Superiors were eager to get into the studio with Kameechi to work on the record. “We’re totally into the whole process of the production,” says S.I.D. “We’re there for every minute, every second. The way you pronounce, your tone, your hypeness, your level. We’re there for every little detail.”

Though some artists balk at creative feedback from engineers and producers, Kameechi embraces this attention to detail. Known for listening to each of  his songs at least 100 times to ensure they meet his lofty standards, he welcomed any input The Superiors had to offer him. “With him it was just pointing him here, pointing him there, and respecting each other when opinions were given,” says S.I.D. “We worked from the beginning, from day one, on every point and every facet of the song. We don’t just produce a record and let it go. Nah—I’m from the days of working on a record for thirty days.”

The countless hours of intense studio labor paid immediate dividends for Kameechi and The Superiors when Funkmaster Flex discovered “16 Diamonds” on SoundCloud and broke the record. Flex’s overt enthusiasm signaled to everyone involved with “16 Diamonds” that they were on to something special. “Without hesitation, he threw the record in full rotation,” says S.I.D. “One night he must have played the record eight times back to back. That was telling us, ‘OK, we got one with this kid right here.’”

Fortunately for fans of “16 Diamonds” and Kameechi’s new single “El Jefe”, he and The Superiors aren’t letting themselves stop and celebrate past successes. After assembling an EP worth of material that is slated for release in the not-too-distant future, S.I.D. wants to ride the current wave of creativity with Kameechi for as long as possible. “We were shooting for enough to have an EP, which was six or seven songs, so we’re there,” he says. “But we’re gonna go ahead. The chemistry right now and the creative process is flowing so good. When it’s going like that, you never stop.”

Even though they’ve only worked together for a short time, S.I.D. has a feeling Kameechi could one day be in the same conversation as some of today’s biggest rap stars. “I feel if I can sit him at a table with the Drakes, with the Waynes, he can fit in that room—there’s a place for him,” he says. “He’s at a stage, with the stuff that I’m hearing within his catalog, where I can actually see him walking in that door and being accepted. I don’t feel that way about a lot of young artists.”

But with Kameechi, there’s something special and unique happening that sets him apart from the rest of the pack. “He has the whole package,” S.I.D. says. “His swag, his personality, it’s everything combined. He gives you this feeling that this kid is something special. I really see him as being next man up.”
Based on Kameechi’s explosive growth so far in 2018, it looks like S.I.D. is onto something.

Written by Gino Sorcinelli

Gino Sorcinelli is a copywriter and freelance journalist who specializes in engaging, narrative non-fiction stories about the creative process and inspiration behind specific albums and songs. A former DJ and lifelong music enthusiastic, much of his writing focuses on rap and other sample-based music. He has bylines in Cuepoint, HipHopDX, Still Crew, Passion of the Weiss, Samplified, and Trackd. Check out his Micro-Chop publication to learn more about Gino and his work.