"John Mayer Lauds Virtuoso Who Played for Beyoncé & Ariana Grande"

# Emerging Guitar Talent: Justus West

Justus West is quickly making a name for himself in both the music industry and the guitar world. Although he may not be a household name just yet, he has collaborated with industry heavyweights such as Mac Miller, John Legend, ThunderCat, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, and Snoop Dogg.

### Spoiler: John Mayer is a Fan
Surprisingly, he is also one of John Mayer’s top contemporary guitarists. It was at an LA performance with Mac Miller when Mayer looked on, impressed by West’s skills. Post-show, Mayer gushed over West’s performance, expressing his admiration for specific guitar parts. This genuine appreciation was publicized on social media, solidifying West’s rising star status.

West’s impressive resume recently expanded with a contribution to Beyoncé’s country-inspired album *Cowboy Carter*, where he played on the single *16 Carriages*. West shares that once he heard the demo version of the song, he knew how crucial it was to add rock elements. “With all the songs on this album paying homage to Black American music, the blend of genres was also a worthy and needed addition,” says West. “Honestly, the brief in my mind was to make this song as epic as possible.”

### Behind the Scenes
West’s exciting journey even includes receiving the highly coveted call from the song’s producer. “I had worked with Dave Hamelin, the producer of this song, previously on an artist named 070Shake. He felt I could be an instrumental piece… This recording session was a lot of fun. I was in the studio with Ink and Dave until the sun started rising working on this jam!”, West remarks.

For fans wanting a sneak peek into Justus West’s music journey, here is the full Hotel Cafe performance with Mac Miller [Watch Full Performance](https://youtu.be/nm2l0rVGmzI).

Check out the original : [here](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/one-of-john-mayers-favorite-contemporary-guitarists-justus-west)