Brian Todd Collins (born April 1, 1986), known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. He released his debut independent album '' Up & Away'' in 2012, following an EP titled '' Almost Home'', and his first major studio album ''

My Own Lane ''My Own Lane'' is the second studio album by American rapper Kid Ink. The album was released on January 7, 2014, by Tha Alumni Music Group, 88 Classic, and RCA Records. Recording for the album took place during 2013 and finished in November 2013 ...

'' in 2014. The latter spawned the singles " Show Me" (featuring

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...

), "

Iz U Down "Iz U Down" is a song by American rapper Kid Ink featuring fellow American rapper Tyga, released on December 17, 2013 as the second single from the former's second studio album, ''My Own Lane''. The song, produced by Mike DZL, peaked at number 91 ...

" (featuring

Tyga Michael Ray Nguyen-StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson ...

), and "

Main Chick "Main Chick" is a song by American rapper Kid Ink from his second studio album ''My Own Lane'' (2014). On March 11, 2014, the song was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States as the album's third single. The song features a g ...

" (featuring Chris Brown). On February 3, 2015, he released his third studio album '' Full Speed'', which spawned the singles "

Body Language Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. ...

" (featuring

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** F ...

and

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. Her notab ...

), "

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

" (featuring Chris Brown), and " Be Real" (featuring

Dej Loaf Deja Monét Trimble (born April 8, 1991), better known by her stage name Dej Loaf (stylized as DeJ Loaf), is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. She began her music career in 2011, and released her debut single "Jus ...

). In December 2015, Kid Ink released a surprise commercial mixtape '' Summer in the Winter'' with the supporting single "

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

" (featuring

Fetty Wap Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage names Fetty Wap or Harlem Fetty, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single " Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. ''B ...

). In 2016, he released the mixtape ''RSS2'' and the EP '' 7 Series'' with the lead single "

F with U "F with U" is a song by American rapper Kid Ink. The song was released on April 7, 2017 by Tha Alumni Music Group, 88 Classic and RCA Records, as the lead single from his EP '' 7 Series'' (2017). The hip hop track was produced by frequent collabor ...

" (featuring

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...

) in 2017. In December 2018, he released the EP ''Missed Calls'' supported by the single "YUSO" (featuring

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

and

Saweetie Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper (born July 2, 1993), known professionally as Saweetie (), is an American rapper. After the release of her debut single "Icy Grl" in 2017, she was signed to her then-manager Max Gousse's record label Artistry Wo ...

). In 2021, he released his first independent album in 9 years, ''Alive'' on April 9.

Career

2005–2012: Career beginnings, Tha Alumni Music Group and ''Up & Away''

During his teenage years, Brian Todd Collins attended after-school music programs, where he produced hip-hop beats and tracks. He cites

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

and

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

as part of his inspiration for its work ethic with the production and songwriting, when he said: "These were artists and producers who were writing for other people in all types of genres. It just gave me an open ear for all different types of music and that's how I approached it". He landed his first genuine production credit for a Nipsey Hussle single in 2008. At 22, Collins began

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

full-time, soon after adopting the temporary

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Rockstar. On February 1, 2010, Collins released his first official mixtape, titled ''World Tour''. The mixtape gained popularity that grabbed some of the attention towards a

radio disc jockey The history of radio disc jockeys covers the time when gramophone records were first transmitted by experimental radio broadcasters to present day radio personalities who host shows featuring a variety of recorded music. For a number of decades ...

, DJ Ill Will, the founder of HotNewHipHop. He later signed to his record label, Tha Alumni Group label, and its joint label, 88 Classic. Collins also changed his stage name to Kid Ink, in respect for a label-mate, DJ Rockstar. In 2011, Collins released his second mixtape, called ''Crash Landing''. The mixtape features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

s from

Roscoe Dash Jeffery Lee Johnson Jr. (born April 2, 1990), better known by his stage name Roscoe Dash, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his debut single " All the Way Turnt Up" (featuring Soulja Boy), which peaked at number ...

, and

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...

, among others. During the summer of 2011, Ink released his third mixtape, called ''Daydreamer'' that made available for digital download. The mixtape features guest appearances from

Cory Gunz Peter Cory Pankey, Jr. (born June 22, 1987), better known by his stage name Cory Gunz, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City.Jessica Koslow, "Interview: Cory Gunz: Youngest In Charge," February 1, 2005, found aHipHopDx website Acc ...

Maejor Ali Brandon Michael Green (born July 23, 1988), better known by his stage name Maejor (formerly Bei Maejor and later Maejor Ali), is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. Green has written and produced songs ...

Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...

Sean Kingston Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Sean Kingston, is an American-Jamaican singer and rapper. He is known for his hit songs " Beautiful Girls", " Fire Burning", " Take You There", and his collaboration wi ...

and Bow Wow, among others. In September 2011, Collins released his fourth mixtape, called ''Wheels Up''. The mixtape features guest appearances from

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, a ...

, Nipsey Hussle and

Tyga Michael Ray Nguyen-StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson ...

, among others. In February 2012, Collins was revealed to be a part of the '' XXLs yearly Freshman class alongside fellow emerging artists at the time, such as

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that current ...

Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...

and

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...

, among others. On June 12, 2012, Ink released his debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

, called '' Up & Away''; including the production that was provided from Ned Cameron, Capsvl and

Jahlil Beats Orlando Jahlil Tucker (born February 8, 1988), better known by his stage name Jahlil Beats, is an American hip hop producer. He is currently signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation. He has produced for artists such as Puff Daddy, Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Mee ...

, among others. The album debuted at number 20 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. Supporting this album was the release of his single, called "Time of Your Life", followed by a release of his second single, called "Lost in the Sauce". In November of that year, Ink released his fifth mixtape, ''Rocketshipshawty''.

2013–2014: Signing with RCA, ''Almost Home'' and ''My Own Lane''

On January 4, 2013, he announced that he had signed a deal with

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

and premiered his first major label single, titled " Bad Ass" featuring Wale and

and produced by Devin Cruise. The song would be released for digital download on January 22, 2013. The song was released to Rhythm Crossover radio in the United States on February 26, 2013. It has since peaked at number 90 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 27 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. He released an EP titled '' Almost Home'' on May 28, 2013. It featured other artists including

, Wale, Meek Mill,

ASAP Ferg Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Ferg (stylized as A$AP Ferg), is an American rapper from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Aside from his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop collec ...

and

Rico Love Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...

. Upon its release, the EP debuted at number 27 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It also produced the single " Money and the Power" which was featured in HBO's '' Hard Knocks'' and in the sports video game '' NBA Live 14'' as well as being one of the official theme songs of

WrestleMania 31 WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Santa Clara, California. Nine ...

. On September 17, 2013, he released the first single from his second studio album ''

'', entitled " Show Me" featuring

and produced by

DJ Mustard Dijon Isaiah McFarlane (born June 5, 1990), known professionally as Mustard (also known as DJ Mustard), is an American record producer and beatmaker. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among var ...

. He released ''My Own Lane'' on January 7, 2014. On January 13, 2014, at Kid Ink's album release party, he was awarded his first Gold plaque from the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA) for his single "Show Me". KidInkMarch2012

2015–2016: ''Full Speed'' and ''Summer in the Winter''

On September 9, 2014, "

", which features

and

, was released as the first single from his third studio album, '' Full Speed''. The album was released on February 3, 2015, and has since peaked at number 14 on the US ''

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...

'' album chart. On December 25, 2015, Kid Ink released a commercial mixtape, '' Summer in the Winter'', with songs featuring

Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P ...

Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...

Starrah Brittany Talia Hazzard, professionally known as Starrah, is an American songwriter, singer and rapper. She has written or co-written multiple songs that have reached the top 20 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including Rihanna's " Needed Me", ...

and Bïa Krieger.

2016–present: ''RSS2'' and ''7 Series''

On September 19, 2016, Kid Ink released the mixtape ''RSS2'' on SoundCloud. Kid Ink wanted to get back into his old mixtape sound. ''RSS2'' features underground artists including his younger brother, Juliann Alexander. ''RSS2'' spawned the "One Day" single from the project, with a music video. ''RSS2'' was released on Spotify and every other streaming service on March 30, 2017. On April 7, Kid Ink released the single "F With U" featuring

, with DJ Mustard producing. His second EP '' 7 Series'' was released May 5, 2017.

Personal life

Kid Ink has over 100 tattoos on his face, back, arms, hands, and torso. He got his first tattoo when he was 16 and has been "addicted" to getting tattoos since. His favorites include portraits of his mother and grandfather on his chest and a tiger on the front of his neck, which represents his Chinese birth sign. He showed off his tattoos for one of

PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, a ...

's "Ink Not Mink" anti-fur ads in 2013. Kid Ink has been in a relationship with model Asiah Azante for over a decade. The couple became engaged in June 2015. Azante gave birth to a girl in February 2016 and another in February 2020.

Discography

* '' Up & Away'' (2012) * ''

'' (2014) * '' Full Speed'' (2015) * ''Alive'' (2021)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website

Kid Ink - 7 Series
a
HipHop Archief
(Dutch) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kid Ink 1986 births Living people African-American male rappers Rappers from Los Angeles Revealed Recordings artists West Coast hip hop musicians 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people American hip hop record producers American hip hop singers 21st-century African-American male singers