"Texas Hold 'Em" producer talks working on Beyonce's next project
Los Angeles-based producer Brian “Killah B” Bates didn’t know his song, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” would be the breakout hit from Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning country album Cowboy Carter. He was just honored to be included on the project, and he says he’s still processing it all.
The producer spoke to Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez about the origin of “Texas Hold ‘Em.” He also revealed he will be featured on Beyoncé’s next project.
You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in music: Ariana Grande, Usher, Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Jason Derulo. But then you say Beyoncé, and that’s just a different level. How did this happen, co-writing and producing “Texas Hold ‘Em?”
It’s a combination of God meeting me halfway, and then my ingenuity on Earth. Me and my friends, we just got in the room. We were drinking José Cuervo and just having fun. We all decided to just do something different we all haven’t done. We were just messing around with some country ideas. I was about to leave the studio after that, because I was tired, and one of my co-writers, Lowell, I love her to death. She pushed the José Cuervo bottle in my chest and said, ‘No, you’re staying right here.’ We ended up doing “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
We started structuring the guitar chords. We did the claps, the whistles. I got under my headphones and finished the production. And then got up from under my headphones and helped them write, did some more production, and we had the idea. We sent it over to Bey’s team. Shoutout to Mariel Gomez, Beyoncé’s A&R, she sent it to Bey, and Beyoncé just had all these amazing ideas of what she wanted to add and how she wanted to just amplify the record. As I have said in numerous interviews, she “Beyoncified” the record.
I can imagine the whole process might have been emotional, and then seeing the single do so well. When she did the Christmas NFL performance, did you tear up a little bit when she was flying in the sky doing her “Texas Hold ‘Em” riffs?
Man, I didn’t tear up right at that moment. I did maybe a couple days after, but I definitely was blown away. The performance was magnificent. Even when “Texas Hold ‘Em” dropped in that commercial , the marketing that she had behind it. When we actually closed out the business on the record, I was assuming the song was coming out, maybe three months from the time we signed the paperwork.
Actually, I was sitting back watching the Chiefs play, not even thinking about the song, just happy that I knew it was finally coming out. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a single. I was just happy that I had a song with Beyoncé at the time. And her commercial pops up on TV, and I’m like, “Oh, go figure! I just closed paperwork out on a song with her. That’s crazy. This is dope.” I’m talking to my boy, like, “Oh yeah, they’re gearing up to drop the album because, look, she’s got a commercial.” Not even realizing that she’s gearing up to drop my song in five seconds.
After the commercial was done, she said, “Drop that,” and like four of our phones, in my place in LA just said, “Ding!” I picked my phone up, opened it, and it’s Beyoncé’s page. I look, and it says, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” I’m like, “Yo, what the ... what? She just dropped the single.” And I screamed. I screamed. It was crazy. I’m still taking that moment, all these moments. I’m still pinching myself just digesting what happened, even as I tell you the story now, I’m still like, “Wow.”
What is next for you?
I’ve been working with Ty . He’s doing two albums. We’re trying to figure out if I’m gonna be on this first one he’s gonna drop. I’ve been working with The Game – heavy on his album. Also been working on with Kane Brown, I actually put him and Ty Dolla on the record we’re closing out right now. I’m in talks working with this girl named Dasha that’s signed to Warner. She’s really amazing, a country pop girl. I’m currently working on Bey’s next project, and a few others.
What are the details on Bey’s next project? What is that?
It’s gonna be amazing!
The producer spoke to Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez about the origin of “Texas Hold ‘Em.” He also revealed he will be featured on Beyoncé’s next project.
You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in music: Ariana Grande, Usher, Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Jason Derulo. But then you say Beyoncé, and that’s just a different level. How did this happen, co-writing and producing “Texas Hold ‘Em?”
It’s a combination of God meeting me halfway, and then my ingenuity on Earth. Me and my friends, we just got in the room. We were drinking José Cuervo and just having fun. We all decided to just do something different we all haven’t done. We were just messing around with some country ideas. I was about to leave the studio after that, because I was tired, and one of my co-writers, Lowell, I love her to death. She pushed the José Cuervo bottle in my chest and said, ‘No, you’re staying right here.’ We ended up doing “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
We started structuring the guitar chords. We did the claps, the whistles. I got under my headphones and finished the production. And then got up from under my headphones and helped them write, did some more production, and we had the idea. We sent it over to Bey’s team. Shoutout to Mariel Gomez, Beyoncé’s A&R, she sent it to Bey, and Beyoncé just had all these amazing ideas of what she wanted to add and how she wanted to just amplify the record. As I have said in numerous interviews, she “Beyoncified” the record.
I can imagine the whole process might have been emotional, and then seeing the single do so well. When she did the Christmas NFL performance, did you tear up a little bit when she was flying in the sky doing her “Texas Hold ‘Em” riffs?
Man, I didn’t tear up right at that moment. I did maybe a couple days after, but I definitely was blown away. The performance was magnificent. Even when “Texas Hold ‘Em” dropped in that commercial , the marketing that she had behind it. When we actually closed out the business on the record, I was assuming the song was coming out, maybe three months from the time we signed the paperwork.
Actually, I was sitting back watching the Chiefs play, not even thinking about the song, just happy that I knew it was finally coming out. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a single. I was just happy that I had a song with Beyoncé at the time. And her commercial pops up on TV, and I’m like, “Oh, go figure! I just closed paperwork out on a song with her. That’s crazy. This is dope.” I’m talking to my boy, like, “Oh yeah, they’re gearing up to drop the album because, look, she’s got a commercial.” Not even realizing that she’s gearing up to drop my song in five seconds.
After the commercial was done, she said, “Drop that,” and like four of our phones, in my place in LA just said, “Ding!” I picked my phone up, opened it, and it’s Beyoncé’s page. I look, and it says, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” I’m like, “Yo, what the ... what? She just dropped the single.” And I screamed. I screamed. It was crazy. I’m still taking that moment, all these moments. I’m still pinching myself just digesting what happened, even as I tell you the story now, I’m still like, “Wow.”
What is next for you?
I’ve been working with Ty . He’s doing two albums. We’re trying to figure out if I’m gonna be on this first one he’s gonna drop. I’ve been working with The Game – heavy on his album. Also been working on with Kane Brown, I actually put him and Ty Dolla on the record we’re closing out right now. I’m in talks working with this girl named Dasha that’s signed to Warner. She’s really amazing, a country pop girl. I’m currently working on Bey’s next project, and a few others.
What are the details on Bey’s next project? What is that?
It’s gonna be amazing!