El Michels Affair

Over the past seven years, Leon Michels has quietly become one of the most sought-after producers in music, the man who can craft a sultry slow jam for the Carters, co-write for Lizzo’s Grammy-nominated album Special, and co-produce Kali Uchis’ global hit “Moonlight.” Though there’s been this notion to associate him with the so-called subgenre of “old soul,” such an affiliation doesn’t capture the full breadth of Michels’ musical artistry. Sure, the mix makes the music sound like the 1960s or ‘70s, but there’s a modern lilt to it, a vast sensibility that works in any era.

Michels’ iconoclastic sound comes from simply following his heart. Despite landing some high-profile work over a decade ago, which could’ve meant immediate commercial fame in the mainstream marketplace, Michels turned inward, focusing instead on El Michels Affair, the group he created in 2000 and releasing his music through Big Crown Records, the record label he co-founded in 2016.

In 2023, Michels produced and released Glorious Game, his superb collaborative album with the Roots rapper Black Thought, to widespread critical acclaim. A year later, Charm, an album he co-produced with the singer-songwriter Clairo was released to mass praise; writers highlighted the Grammy-nominated record’s production alongside the singer’s hushed vocals. In 2025, Michels won a Grammy Award for his work on Norah Jones’ ninth studio album, Visions, which he fully produced.