Ghanaian producer and sound engineer GuiltyBeatz has opened up about the unexpected series of events that led to his collaboration with Beyoncé.
Speaking on the Sincerely Accra podcast, GuiltyBeatz recounted how he, along with 20 other producers, was invited to a high-stakes audition that would prove pivotal in his career.
“I had just landed in Ghana from a trip. I was a bit jet-lagged but had a session scheduled with a few other producers. We were just vibing in the studio when Beyoncé’s team suddenly showed up,” he recalled.
Fatigued and creatively drained, he had no new material to present when the producers were unexpectedly asked to take turns playing beats.
“I just landed and they took me straight to that conference room and they were passing the Aux cables around and they were like you play, you play. No, she wasn’t around so I was like what kind of pressure is this,” he said.
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With no fresh compositions, GuiltyBeatz played an older instrumental, the beat for ‘Thomas Pompoyɛyaw’, a track he had produced for Ghanaian rapper Pappy Kojo. Despite its traditional highlife roots, the reaction surprised him.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, honestly. It’s a very local, highlife-inspired beat, very authentic to the Ghanaian sound. But to my surprise, they were feeling it! They liked the energy, the bounce, everything. That was the beat that caught their attention,” the sound engineer stated.
By the next day, things escalated quickly. Beyoncé herself arrived at his studio, ready to work.
“The very next day, she came to my studio with her entire team. We locked in and started working right away. It was surreal. She was down-to-earth, focused, and really open to experimenting with African rhythms,” GuiltyBeatz disclosed.
This encounter eventually led to his contributions on Beyoncé’s 2019 The Lion King: The Gift album, which spotlighted African artistry. He later worked on standout tracks like “Already” featuring Shatta Wale and “Keys to the Kingdom.”
Reflecting on the whirlwind experience, he offered a piece of wisdom, “It taught me that sometimes, all you have to do is show up and stay true to your sound. You never know who’s listening.”
Watch the video below.
You’ll never guess which song @guiltybeatz played for Beyoncé’s team before he got picked! #GCRSA #GHPOD #SincerelyAccra
Watch: https://t.co/C59ZLgQtfE pic.twitter.com/tM5PmvDbq6
— SincerelyAccra (@SincerelyAccra) June 23, 2025
