Dwane Marshall Weir II (born July 12, 1990), known professionally as Key Wane, is an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his work with American rapper Big Sean. Wane has also produced for other music industry artists, including Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, Drake, Jhene Aiko, Wale, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Juicy J, Ariana Grande, Logic, Ty Dolla Sign and Meek Mill, among others. His credits include Drake's "All Me", Beyoncé's "Partition", Jazmine Sullivan's "Let It Burn" and "Insecure", Meek Mill's "Amen", Big Sean's "Guap", "Beware" and "I Don't Fuck with You". Wane has also produced a bulk of Sean's albums, including Hall of Fame, Dark Sky Paradise, and Twenty 88.
Early life At the age 11, Wane began playing the piano in the church every first Sunday, initially teaching himself melodies before his mom heard him and got involved in his learning. He told XXL, “She ordered me this Casio keyboard out of a JCPenney catalog. It got mailed to the house, and I just started making beats on it. Then I started taking piano lessons, and the stuff I learned from my piano lessons, I would combine that with beats, and it really was just something that I loved to do, man. I really didn’t go out a lot cause I was always coming up with stuff." In December 2012, Key Wane graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in Musical Arts and Sciences.
Musical career In 2002, Wane started making beats in his mother's basement. Wane met rapper Big Sean in the 8th grade through his older brother who told Wane to play beats for Sean. Big Sean was friends with Wane's older brother and cousin at their high school, Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Around the same time Wane started taking record production seriously, and begun sending him beats periodically. During mid-2010 before his junior year of college, Wane first became known after producing "Memories" by Big Sean, from his third mixtape Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG. In 2011, Wane produced and co-wrote Tyga's "Drink the Night Away" featuring The Game and Mario, "Don't Wake Me Up" and "Hypnotized", all of which featured on his mixtape Black Thoughts Vol. 2. In November 2011, Warner/Chappell and Big Sean signed Wane to a co-publishing deal.
In early 2010, Wane produced "Amen" for Meek Mill after running into him while in New York. Meek Mill picked it up and released it as the lead single from his debut album Dreams and Nightmares. Many Christian hip hop artists and religious leaders commented negatively on the song. However the song peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. After his significant contributions over the years, XXL named Wane one of hip-hops most must-watch producers. Wane was also included in XXL's Freshman Producer Class of 2013.
In December 2012, Wane confirmed working with Drake, Jhene Aiko, Big Sean and Beyoncé on their upcoming albums. On August 1, 2013 Drake released a song titled "All Me" produced and co-written by Wane, featuring 2 Chainz and Big Sean, from his upcoming third studio album Nothing Was the Same. He had originally produced the instrumental for himself, but after the record had sat for a couple months, Wane sent the instrumental to Drake, who immediately picked up the beat. Along with No ID, Wane produced the majority of Big Sean's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013), including the highest-charting singles of the album, "Guap" and "Beware" featuring Jhene Aiko and Lil Wayne. He contributed production to six songs in total. Key Wane co-produced Big Sean's "IDFWU" as well. In December 2014, Wane was nominated for his first Grammy for his production contribution on the Grammy nominated "Beyonce" for Album of the Year. In December 2015, Wane was nominated the following year at the Grammy's for his production on Jazmine Sullivan's "Let It Burn" for Best R&B Song of the Year.
Production style Key Wane's production has been described as "soulful instrumental music". His production is based around a melodic piano driven sound and a kickdrum.
Awards and nominations Grammy nominations YearNominee/WorkAwardResult2015"BEYONCÉ"Album Of The YearNominated2016"Let It Burn" (Jazmine Sullivan)
(Prod. Key Wane)Best R&B Song Of The YearNominated
BET Hip Hop Awards YearNominee/WorkAwardResult2015"IDFWU" (Big Sean featuring E-40)
(Prod. DJ Mustard, Key Wane, Kanye West & DJ Dahi)Best Club BangerWonBest Track Of The YearNominated
Certifications TitleYearCertificationsAlbum"Amen" (Meek Mill featuring Drake)
(Prod. Key Wane)2012 RIAA: GoldDreams and Nightmares"Guap" (Big Sean)
(Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Young Chop) RIAA: PlatinumHall of Fame"Beware"(Big Sean featuring Lil Wayne & Jhene Aiko) (Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Mike Dean)2013 RIAA: Gold"All Me"(Drake featuring Big Sean & 2 Chainz) (Prod. Key Wane) RIAA: PlatinumNothing Was the Same"Partition" (Beyoncé) (Prod. Beyoncé Knowles, Boots, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Key Wane & Mike Dean)2014 RIAA: PlatinumBeyoncé"IDFWU" (Big Sean featuring E-40)
(Prod. DJ Mustard, Key Wane, Kanye West & DJ Dahi) RIAA: 4× Platinum ARIA: Gold BPI: SilverDark Sky Paradise"I Know" (Big Sean featuring Jhené Aiko)
(Prod. DJ Mustard & Key Wane)2015 RIAA: Gold"Play No Games" (Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla Sign)
(Prod. Key Wane & Jay John Henry)2016 RIAA: Gold"Jump Out The Window"
(Big Sean)
(Prod. Key Wane & Camper)2017 RIAA: GoldI Decided"Insecure" (Jazmine Sullivan & Bryson Tiller
)
(Prod. Key Wane)2017Insecure
Discography
Production discography Singles produced Year Title Chart positions Album US US R&B/HH US Rap UK R&B2012"Amen" (Meek Mill featuring Drake)
(Prod. Key Wane)5754—Dreams and Nightmares"Guap" (Big Sean)
(Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Young Chop)712117—Hall of Fame2013"All Me"(Drake featuring Big Sean & 2 Chainz) (Prod. Key Wane)206433Nothing Was the Same"Beware"(Big Sean featuring Lil Wayne & Jhene Aiko) (Prod. Key Wane Co-Prod. Mike Dean)38107_Hall of Fame2014"Partition" (Beyoncé) (Prod. Beyoncé Knowles, Boots, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Key Wane & Mike Dean)239—15Beyoncé"IDFWU" (Big Sean featuring E-40)
(Prod. DJ Mustard, Key Wane, Kanye West & DJ Dahi)111—67Dark Sky Paradise2015"Let It Burn"
(Jazmine Sullivan)
(Prod. Key Wane)—22——Reality Show"Play No Games" (Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla Sign)
(Prod. Key Wane & Jay John Henry)8428——Dark Sky Paradise2016"On The Way" (Twenty88)
(Prod. Key Wane)————Twenty88"Déjà Vu"
(Twenty88)
(Prod. Key Wane & Cam O'bi)—21——Twenty882017"Jump Out The Window" (Big Sean)
(Prod. Key Wane & Camper)76I Decided"Insecure"
(Jazmine Sullivan & Bryson Tiller)
(Prod. Key Wane)19HBO: Insecure Soundtrack
Key Wane's production YearArtistSongProject2009Big Sean"4 My People"XXL's 10 Freshman For '10 Mixtape2010Big SeanMy ClosetFinally Famous Vol. 3: BIG"Almost Wrote You a Love Song" (co. produced by No ID)Memories2011TygaDon't Wake Me UpBlack Thoughts Vol. 2HypnotizedDrink The Night AwayMickey Factz"The Finer Things"N/ABig SeanIntroFinally FamousChevy WoodsDownThe Cookout2012Tyga"Potty Mouth" (featuring Busta Rhymes; addition production by Jess Jackson)Careless World: Rise of the Last KingRockie Fresh"So Long"Driving 88King Chip"Pocket Full"Tell Ya FriendsMeek Mill"Amen" (featuring Drake; co-produced by Jahlil Beats)Dreams and NightmaresChevy Woods"Ace N Mitch"Gang LandRoscoe Dash"MoWet" (featuring French Montana)2.0Big Sean"Higher"Detroit"24 Karats of Gold" (featuring J. Cole)"Woke Up" (co-produced by BP & Young Chop)"I'm Gonna Be" (featuring Jhené Aiko)"RWT" (co-produced by Southside)"Guap" (co-produced by Young Chop; additional production by DJ Camper & Rob Kinelski)Alley Boy"I'm That"War CryLil Wayne"Awkward" (co-produced by Jahlil Beats)The Appreciation Vol. 5: Holiday EditionWale"Money Changes"FolarinYoung Jeezy"Knob Broke" (co-produced by Jahlil Beats)It's Tha World2013Logic"Life Is Good"Young Sinatra: Welcome to ForeverBig Sean"Higher"Hall of Fame"10 2 10" (add. production)"Beware" (featuring Jhené Aiko & Lil Wayne) "It's Time" (featuring Young Jeezy & Payroll)"World Ablaze" (co. produced with No ID)"Guap" (co-produced by Young Chop; additional production by DJ Camper & Rob Kinelski)Drake"All Me" (featuring 2 Chainz & Big Sean) Nothing Was the SameMeek Mill"Dope Dealer" (featuring Nicki Minaj & Rick Ross)Dreamchasers 3Beyoncé Knowles"Yoncé" / "Partition" (co-produced by Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé Knowles)Beyoncé"Mine" (co-produced &written by Noah "40" Shebib, Drake, Beyoncé, Majid Jordan, Sidney "Omen" Brown and Key Wane)Diggy Simmons"Mama Said" TBA2014Big Sean"1st Quarter Freestyle" non-album singles"4th Quarter"Ariana Grande"Best Mistake" (featuring Big Sean)My EverythingJhené Aiko"My Afternoon Dream"Souled Out"Eternal Sunshine""Mirrors"2015Jazmine Sullivan"Dumb" (featuring Meek Mill) Reality Show"Mascara""Silver Lining""Let It Burn""Veins"Big Sean "I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40) Dark Sky Paradise"Play No Games" (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign) "I Know" (featuring Jhené Aiko) "Deep" (featuring Lil Wayne) "Platinum & Wood"Jordin Sparks"Work From Home" (featuring B.o.B)Right Here, Right Now "100 Years"Ne-Yo"Run"Non-Fiction2016Twenty88"Déjà Vu"Twenty88"On The Way""London Bridge"French Montana"Holy Moly"Wave GodsDreezy"Bad Bitch"No Hard FeelingsDJ Khaled"Tourist" (featuring Travis Scott & Lil Wayne)Major Key2017Jhené Aiko"Sing To Me" (featuring Namiko Love)TripGucci Mane"Changed" (featuring Big Sean)Mr. DavisJazmine Sullivan"Insecure" (featuring Bryson Tiller)HBO: Insecure SoundtrackBig Sean"Jump Out The Window"I Decided2018Royce Da 5'9"Woke"Book Of Ryan"1st Of The Month" (featuring T-Pain & Chavis Chandler) 2020 Jazmine Sullivan "Bodies (Intro)"Heaux Tales "Put It Down"
References