Pookie

Danté Erik Maldonado-Bélanger, better known as Pookie, is a Montréal-born, Ottawa-raised producer, artist, mixing and mastering engineer, photographer, and creative. A Guatemalan-French multi-instrumentalist of sound and culture, Pookie’s production exists at the intersection of hard-hitting Hip-Hop, Trap, Drill, Reggaeton, Electronic, and experimental music—drawing from both old-school foundations and new-school energy.

Born in Montréal and spending his early years in Verdun before moving to Ottawa’s Lower Town, Pookie grew up surrounded by financial struggle and an environment where navigating the streets required awareness, resilience, and adaptability. Those experiences became part of the foundation of his creative identity: move with your head up, stay sharp, and find a way forward. Speaking English, French, and Spanish, Pookie’s perspective is naturally shaped by multiple cultures and musical traditions.

His sound is rhythmic, hard-hitting, and emotional, built around the idea that production should make people feel something while still hitting with undeniable impact. His influences span generations and genres, from Metro Boomin, Nick Mira, Southside, J Dilla, Dr. Dre, J. Cole, Drake, and Kanye West to the Latin music he grew up around, including bachata, ranchera, salsa, and reggaeton. His musical palette extends even further into ’90s and 2000s alternative rock, jazz, and virtually anything that catches his ear. Rather than limiting himself to one sound, Pookie pulls from everything around him and turns those influences into something distinctly his own.

For roughly 15 years, Pookie has worked closely with his longtime collaborator and friend Teigwan the Trip, developing a creative partnership built through years of recording, experimentation, and shared musical evolution. Their latest collaboration, BAD THINGS COME IN 3'S, was fully produced, mixed, and mastered by Pookie. He also fully produced, mixed, and mastered CRASH TEST with Jordan Eric, further establishing himself as a producer who approaches projects from beginning to end—not simply creating beats, but helping shape the complete sonic world of a release.

Pookie is building toward something bigger than the traditional producer role. He doesn't want to exist in the background. He wants the producer to be part of the identity. Taking inspiration from producers such as The Alchemist, Pookie views production as an art form with its own personality, aesthetic, and brand. His vision is to be recognized alongside the artists he creates with—to have a presence, a sound, and an identity that are unmistakably his.

At the center of his creative process is the pursuit of flow state: that moment in the studio when everyone involved locks into the same frequency and the music begins to happen naturally. For Pookie, that's where the real records are made—when instinct takes over, the room is connected, and everyone is chasing the same feeling.

Beyond production, his creative world extends into mixing and mastering, photography, and fashion, allowing him to approach music through a broader visual and cultural lens. His ultimate goal is simple: to become the best at what he does and create bangers back to back.

With a producer album currently in development and scheduled for 2027, Pookie is moving toward a new chapter—one where the producer isn't just behind the record, but part of the record's identity.

Pookie isn't trying to fit into a sound. He's building one.