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Brian Todd Collins (born April 1, 1986), known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper and singer from
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California. His debut studio album, '' Up & Away'' (2012), was released independently and peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' 200. He then signed with
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
to release his debut
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP) '' Almost Home'' (2013), followed by his second album and major label debut, '' My Own Lane'', the following year. The latter peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was led by the single " Show Me" (featuring
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
), which peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and received
quadruple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
certification by 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/o ...
(RIAA). The album spawned two additional singles: " Iz U Down" (featuring
Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson
) and " Main Chick" (featuring Chris Brown). His third album, '' Full Speed'' (2015), peaked at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned the singles "
Body Language Body language is a type of nonverbal 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 o ...
" (featuring Usher and
Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...
) and " Be Real" (featuring Dej Loaf), both of which received
platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
certifications by the RIAA. Collins' sixth mixtape, '' Summer in the Winter'' (2015), was preceded by the double platinum-certified 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 name Fetty Wap, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He quickly rose to mainstream prominence after his 2014 song " Trap Queen" peaked at number two on the ''Bil ...
). His second EP, '' 7 Series'' (2017), narrowly entered the ''Billboard'' 200 and was preceded by the single " F with U" (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, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...
). His third EP, ''Missed Calls'' (2019) was supported by the single "YUSO" (featuring
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
and
Saweetie Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper (born July 2, 1993), known professionally as Saweetie (; also pronounced as simply "sweetie"), is an American rapper and singer. Her 2017 debut single, "Icy Grl", received RIAA certification, double platinum cer ...
) and failed to chart, serving as his final release with RCA. His fourth album, ''Alive'' (2021), served as his first independent project in nearly a decade.


Career


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

During his teenage years, 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), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
and
Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ in 1994. At the age ...
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 Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...
single in 2008. At 22, Collins began
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
full-time, soon after adopting the temporary
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
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 A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
, DJ Ill Will, the founder of ''
HotNewHipHop ''HotNewHipHop'' (HNHH) is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and Sneaker collecting, sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video seri ...
''. He later signed to his record label, Tha Alumni Group, 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 The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...
s from Roscoe Dash,
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, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...
, 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 career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
, among others. During the summer of 2011, Collins 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,
Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother o ...
, Sean Kingston, 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 (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
,
Nipsey Hussle Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...
, and
Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson
, among others. In February 2012, Collins was revealed to be a part of the '' XXL'''s 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 currently ex ...
,
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
, and
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, 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 immigrated to New York ...
, among others. On June 12, 2012, Collins released his debut
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, called '' Up & Away''; including the production that was provided from
Ned Cameron Edward McGuire Cameron (born December 25, 1987) is an American record producer from San Francisco, California. He is best known for his work with American rapper Kid Ink, having produced his 2012 songs " Hell & Back" and "Time of Your Life", as ...
, Capsvl, and Jahlil Beats, 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, Collins 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 owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
and premiered his first major label single, titled " Bad Ass" (featuring
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 career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
and Wale), 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 French Montana, Wale, Meek Mill, ASAP Ferg, and Rico Love. 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 Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
'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 a 2015 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 31st annual WrestleMania and took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's S ...
. On September 17, 2013, he released the first single from his second studio album '' My Own Lane'', entitled " Show Me" (featuring
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
), produced by DJ Mustard. He released ''My Own Lane'' on January 7, 2014. On January 13, 2014, at Collins' 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/o ...
(RIAA) for his single "Show Me".


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

On September 9, 2014, "
Body Language Body language is a type of nonverbal 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 o ...
", which features Usher and
Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...
, 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 to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
'' album chart. On December 25, 2015, Collins released a commercial mixtape, '' Summer in the Winter'', with songs featuring
Fetty Wap Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage name Fetty Wap, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He quickly rose to mainstream prominence after his 2014 song " Trap Queen" peaked at number two on the ''Bil ...
,
Akon Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon (), is a Senegalese-United States, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influ ...
,
Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, dancer and actor. He rose to prominence as lead vocalist of the boy band B2K, which was formed in 1998 and managed by record e ...
, Starrah, and Bïa Krieger.


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

On September 19, 2016, Collins released the mixtape ''RSS2'' on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
. Collins 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, Collins released the single " F with U" (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, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...
), with DJ Mustard producing. His second EP '' 7 Series'' was released May 5, 2017.


Personal life

Collins 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 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
's "Ink Not Mink" anti-fur ads in 2013. Collins has been in a relationship with model Asiah Azante for over a decade. The couple became engaged in June 2015 and married in November 2016. They have three daughters, born in 2016, 2020 and 2024 respectively.


Discography

* '' Up & Away'' (2012) * '' My Own Lane'' (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 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American rappers African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers African-American male singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters African-American record producers American hip-hop singers American hip-hop record producers Pop rappers Rappers from Los Angeles RCA Records artists Record producers from Los Angeles Revealed Recordings artists Singers from Los Angeles Singer-songwriters from California West Coast hip-hop musicians