Sam Pounds

When Sam Pounds is captured on tape, he moves the way real records used to—unhurried and untamed in all the right ways. On “Queen,” alongside longtime collaborators Family Company, he centers the track in instinct and restraint, holding onto feel over finish with just enough space for the bass and drum groove to breathe. Recorded fully analog, you can hear his musical lineage in the pocket: the quiet discipline of The Meters and the confidence of Prince, but it never imitates. It settles into something all his own.

When he leans into the chorus lyrics of “magical” and “supernatural,” it almost feels like he’s describing his own voice, until you realize he’s speaking to something deeper: the unconditional love given to him by his mother and auntie.

Now based in Los Angeles, Pounds has become a trusted force in the room as a producer, songwriter, engineer and mixer. He has collaborated with Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, the late Liam Payne, and Killer Mike. His work on KILLER MILBUM helped mark a Grammy-winning chapter in 2024, as he simultaneously continued to build a following the old-fashioned way: live, in rooms where people can feel the music before they name it.

That sense of momentum carries into recent releases he worked on including Sam’s first single on Death Row, “You Belong To Me,” and “Somebody,” Jamie Foxx’s first solo release in nearly a decade. Sam helped shape both from the ground up, marking an undeniable run of work. And he’s just started to cook. “Queen” arrives May 8 courtesy of Death Row Records and will greet the world with ease, steady in truth and impossible to shake.