Labrinth

Timothy Lee McKenzie, known professionally as Labrinth, was born on January 4, 1989, in Hackney, London. Raised in a musical family of nine siblings, his early exposure to American gospel music laid the foundation for his diverse sound. He formed a band called Mac 9 with his siblings and began pursuing a music career during his school years at Stoke Newington School. At 15, his brother, also a producer, introduced him to music creation in his studio. Labrinth began his professional journey in 2009 by producing “Dead End” for Master Shortie’s album A.D.H.D., which led to a publishing deal with Guy Moot of EMI Music Publishing. From 2010 to 2011, he mentored the Urban Development Vocal Collective (UDVC) and produced tracks for their ‘Urban Development’ project.

Labrinth’s breakthrough arrived in March 2010 with his uncredited appearance on Tinie Tempah’s debut single “Pass Out,” which he also co-wrote and produced. The song quickly reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, earning Best British Single at the 2011 BRIT Awards and Best Contemporary Song at the 2011 Ivor Novello Awards. This collaboration led to a second successful single, “Frisky.” In June 2010, Simon Cowell’s Syco Music signed Labrinth as a solo artist, marking Cowell’s first non-talent-show signing in six years. His first solo single, “Let the Sun Shine,” was released in September 2010, reaching number three in the UK. His debut album, “Electronic Earth,” was released on March 31, 2012, featuring popular singles like “Earthquake” (featuring Tinie Tempah) and “Last Time.” In November 2012, he achieved his first number-one single with “Beneath Your Beautiful,” featuring Emeli Sandé, which also charted at number 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He further showcased his versatility by releasing the “Atomic” EP for free download in December 2012, featuring collaborations with artists such as Plan B, Ed Sheeran, and Wretch 32.

From 2013 onwards, Labrinth continued to expand his career through high-profile collaborations and film scoring. He worked on Tinie Tempah’s second album “Demonstration” and released his own acclaimed single “Jealous” in 2014, reaching number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2015, he was featured on and co-produced “Losers” on The Weeknd’s album “Beauty Behind the Madness,” which earned him a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. The following year, he co-wrote and featured on Noah Cyrus’s debut single “Make Me (Cry).” A significant turning point came in 2018 with the formation of the supergroup LSD alongside Sia and Diplo, releasing singles like “Genius” and “Thunderclouds.” In 2019, Labrinth made his scoring debut as the lead composer for the HBO series “Euphoria.” He earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for “All for Us” and an Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Soundtrack. He also co-wrote and co-produced Beyoncé’s “Spirit” for “The Lion King” soundtrack in 2019. His third studio album, “Ends & Begins,” was released in April 2023, following the success of singles like “Never Felt So Alone,” featuring Billie Eilish, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2024.