GuiltyBeatz: The Orchestrator of Tems’ Groove

GuiltyBeatz, whose real name is Ronald Banful, was raised in Ghana after moving there from his birthplace of Palermo, Italy, when he was six years old. An array of musical styles were played in his childhood home, but George Benson’s sleek jazz guitar was an early favorite. Eventually, he would teach himself to make beats for a local rap group, catching the attention of a studio owner. He would then build his skillset under the studio owner’s tutelage (and also by learning how to play the piano himself and being in his school’s choir and brass band) over several years, foraying himself into eventual production credits for the likes of Mr Eazi, Wizkid, Pappy Kojo and more.

GuiltyBeatz had started to catch some serious momentum in 2020 and 2021 — including a notable Jorja Smith collaboration, “All of This” — when Tems came into his sphere. Yet, when she did, his journey truly began. They have been building since day one towards her long-awaited debut album.

GuiltyBeatz is either sole-producer, co-producer, or additional producer on 14 of the 18 tracks on the album. He says “Unfortunate,” “You In My Face,” and “Burning,” are some of his favorites to make, but adds that the list keeps changing.

OkayAfrica: What was it like in the studio with Tems when you first met?

GuiltyBeatz: I think from the first day we realized that we [were] similar in temperament. We’re both chill, we don't force anything. Musically, we understood what each other liked and continued from there. It started from personality — both of us are quirky, you know, just laugh at silly things, make silly jokes. I have this thing where I'm really awkward around new people. So, [if I’m] comfortable around people the first time meeting them, that means we're gonna be friends for a long time.

Which of your earliest musical influences gave you the most points of reference in your work with Tems?

I listened to a wide range of music and there's like a lot of influences in terms of things that I grew up on. I think Tems is kind of the same. She also grew up on different genres of music. That's how we are able to connect in every pocket. ‘Unfortunate’ is where I feel like my influences [came out]. For example, at the end of the song when you hear this guitar solo, I kind of directed the guitarist to play it the ‘George Benson way,’ or in his style. That felt like a full circle moment where I could actually input my real influence into the music that I do with Tems. ‘Avoid Things,’ (off Tems’ 2021 EP, If Orange Was a Place) was also me trying to blend reggae and salsa. It’s so weird to explain, but when you strip it back, it’s a bossa nova beat with a reggae bass line. I [have listened] to a lot of reggae and bossa nova and naturally came up with that. It's not because I was listening to bossa nova or reggae at the moment. I just happened to create [the music because it was] in me.

What do you provide for Tems’ sound to complete it?

We're both versatile. I could play any chord and as long as she resonates with it, we'll make it into a song. We can make a song anywhere at any time. There's no planning behind it. I just hit the chords on the keys, one or two may not work, but after like the first three tries, boom, there it is. For me personally, it’s about groove. It needs to have a nice, different type of bounce basically. That influence is from Timbaland. With his drums, there's no way [when you hear them] you won't move your head or your body. I provide that for Tems in different special ways. And it works. She loves it. It’s always just, ‘Let's see what's gonna happen today.’ We are child-like, we just freely express [ourselves].

Were there any moments in the studio recording Born in the Wild that stick out to you?

I think an example is, again, ‘Unfortunate,’ which I started on guitar. I had this drum going. I stopped and then we went home and came back the following day. She actually reminded me like, ‘I liked the drums you were playing yesterday, what happened to them?’ So I pulled them up. Now this is what I mean about freedom, I'm not a guitar player, but I just pulled up the guitar. Then I just started playing the chords, so she just made a whole song out of it. That was one song I can say that I started, and she took it to that next level.

Tems - Unfortunate (Visualizer)

How do you feel you’ve grown as a producer and person in the last few years in your work with Tems?

I have been able to explore even more genres that helped me understand music more in different spaces. Now I'm able to dabble in different spaces. I've also grown in different ways, in terms of how I make music. Now I get musicians to play my ideas. Before I would do it myself and stuff. I've come to understand [that] getting musicians to play my ideas makes the music more full, more real. They bring the music out more from what I've already done. It's really nice to see how your ideas can be translated from other people's point of view.

As a person, this album has helped me to express myself more. I'm someone that internalizes a lot [but I’ve learned that] if you don't say what you have in mind, people will never know what it is. So this album gave me the opportunity to just be more open, more in-tune.