Kid Ink is the pseudonym of a famous American rapper. The real name of the musician is Brian Todd Collins. He was born on April 1, 1986 in Los Angeles, California. Today is one of the most progressive rap artists in the United States.
The beginning of the musical career of Brian Todd Collins
The creative path of the rapper began at the age of 16. Today, the musician is also known not only for his music, but also for the number of tattoos. He made the first of them just at the age of 16, at the same time as he began to rap.
It is noteworthy that Brian received his first recognition not as a performer, but as a producer. He has written lyrics and music for many American artists. After he managed to gain fame in the circles of producers, he decided to start a career as an independent artist.
The first release of the musician was released in 2010. It turned out to be The World Tour mixtape. A mixtape is an album format music release. It can also have up to 20 (more in some cases) tracks.
The only difference is a more simplified approach to recording and releasing music. The World Tour was not released under the pseudonym Kid Ink, he came up with it a little later. The first release was released under the name Rockstar. Under this pseudonym, the musician gained his first popularity.
The appearance of the pseudonym Kid Ink
The release was noticed by DJ Ill Will, and he invited the musician to become an artist of the Tha Alumni label. It was here that Rockstar changed its name to Kid Ink. On the label, the musician released three more mixtapes, with which he loudly declared himself in the underground environment. However, for louder glory, a full-length album was needed.
Kid Ink teamed up with producers Ned Cameron and Jahlil Beats to record Up & Away. The album performed well in sales, even hit the well-known American Billboard chart.
Here the release took the 20th position, which was a good result, especially for a young musician. Then came the mixtape Rocketship Shawty, which consolidated the success and helped the musician to find new listeners.
Further work of Kid Inc.
In early 2013, the musician became part of the RCA Records label. Immediately after the announcement of this news, the first high-profile single of the artist was released.
They became the track Bad Ass, recorded with the participation of Wale and Meek Mill. He was rotated for a long time on the main radio stations in the USA and Europe. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and was generally very well received by the public.
It's time to release the second full-length album. The RCA Records label made a worthy promo for the musician. In addition, Kid Ink was already quite well known. A platform was prepared for the release of a high-profile release.
The album Almost Home was released in May 2013. The release was about the same in terms of sales with the debut album. If the debut album took the 20th position on the Billboard 200, then the second album was at the 27th position.
Then Kid Ink immediately began to work on the third solo album. Soon a new track Money and the Power was released. He received recognition from fans, hit the charts and became the soundtrack of computer games and TV shows.
Worldwide popularity of Kid Inc.
In the fall of 2013, Kid Ink presented the first single from the album My Own Lane. They became the song Show Me. It was recorded with Chris Brown, a recognized hit maker of the 2010s.
The song immediately hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100, took a leading position there. Kid Ink became famous outside the US, especially the single was popular in Britain. The video for the track gained more than 85 million views in just almost a year on YouTube video hosting.
It was a great base for the release of the new album. The release of My Own Lane sold fifty thousand copies in seven days. It reached the top three on the Billboard 200 albums and topped iTunes.
The track Show Me was certified platinum. Kid Ink did not stand still, enjoying the success, and immediately released the following releases.
Therefore, a few months later a new single for the future album was released. The song Body Language was released at the end of 2014. She was warmly received by fans of Kid Ink, but did not take a leading position in the charts.
The album Full Speed was released in early 2015. The collection was a minor success with the public. However, it was recognized by many "fans" as one of the best releases of the musician. The last studio album to date, Summer in the Winter, was released in the same 2015. Just a few months after the release of the fourth album.
A little about the nature of Kid Ink's creativity
Kid Ink is not pure hip-hop and pop music. This artist is characterized by melody. He has been working on lyrics and music for a long time. Kid Ink plays a lot of shows today. He works with the top stars of the US music scene, regularly touring with them.
The musician is still part of the Tha Alumni label. He refuses to enter into contracts with major major labels, which could make his work more popular. This is seen as the desire of the musician to remain in his own style.
