Trinidad Meets Baltimore (and the World) on Tittsworth + Kes’ “Gimme Dat”

Words by Pedro Depacas 

What do you get when you mix disparate genres like cumbia, house, soca, moombahton, and dancehall? “Gimme Dat,” the latest release you never knew you needed from Trinidadian superstar Kees  “Kes” Dieffenthaller of Kes the Band. With the main version produced by Baltimore club legend, Tittsworth, and remixes from names including moombahton founding fathers Nadastrom, Texan cumbia master El Dusty and LargeUp’s own Deejay Theory, the latest release on the genre-bending, Latin-focused label Hermanito is guaranteed to have asses shaking across multiple continents.

A product of fast-flying, intercontinental file transfers facilitated by A&Rs and producers from around the world, this unique blend of sounds and rhythms is yet another example of how the long arms of soca and dancehall are reaching farther and farther every day. Fresh off the heels of another monster Trinidad Carnival season, with people stomping through the clubs, streets, and stages of Port of Spain for months to the infectious rhythm of his hit single “Savannah Grass”, Kes once again demonstrates his versatility and international crossover appeal on all six versions of “Gimme Dat.”

“It was a long time coming but worth the wait,” says Hermanito label boss and producer Tittsworth. “This song had all of us stepping out of our comfort zones and stoked on the outcome. Huge thanks to our talented remixers, pushing soca into cumbia (El Dusty), moombah (Captain Planet), footwork (MoonDoctoR/Orion Garcia) and dad rave (Deejay Theory) vibes.”

Have a listen to the original and the other mixes above.