Everybody bow down to the new Kid in town! LA-based producer and rapper Kid Ink has been on the rise for a couple of years, and now he’s practically a household name, with his hit singles “Show Me”, “Main Chick” and “Money and the Power” gaining recognition and heavy radio airplay.
This month, he’s also released a new mixtape and a brand new remix of Magic’s “Rude”, solidifying his growing role in today’s music scene. We caught up with Kid Ink in Abu Dhabi to admire his tattoos and ask him about his shows in the UAE, his musical influences and what we can expect from him next.
Welcome to Abu Dhabi! Is this your first time here and what is your impression so far?
It’s pretty chill! I’ve been in the area before, and performed in Dubai earlier, but this is my first time in Abu Dhabi specifically, and here is a little bit more chilled.
When you’re in the Arab world, do you structure your shows differently than if you were performing elsewhere?
It’s hard to say because I feel like I haven’t really had an opportunity to have a full show. When I’m performing at the clubs, it’s a little smaller and more intimate. It’s usually only about four to five songs, and I’m performing the songs that people know and are a little bit more lenient, because they’re more radio-friendly records. I don’t really have that issue when I’m doing my regular show where I’m performing all kinds of different stuff off the album.
Of course, you have to adjust your shows to certain places, because certain things might be offensive, and some areas just don’t listen to certain types of music, so specific songs might not work as well with the vibe… So you know, I always try to make sure that the show is structured for that audience as much as I can.
You’ve listed influences such as Timbaland and Pharrell. Who else are your influences, especially from other genres?
I have all types of influences because I don’t set any limits to the type of music that I listen to or make. I write my own music, and all the hooks, and sometimes I have other people re-sing them. So when I’m thinking about having all types of different features or beats, I’ll think ‘oh, this artist might sound good on it’, but they sing this type of genre, so I have to tap into another artist’s type or vibe.
Even when I’m trying to put together the albums, I have to listen to everything if I don’t want to limit my range. So I can listen to Pink or to Katy Perry, and pull things from it – not necessarily make songs like it, but pull certain things where there can be a melody or a concept that I feel that I haven’t touched on, and that I can apply and reach those fans too.
And you used to go by a different stage name…
Yeah, when I was a producer my name was Rockstar. When I started making music, I didn’t really care much about the name situation; it was more so about the music.
You’ve also worked with a lot of artists on your music recently, like Chris Brown and Tyga. Who do you want to work with next?
Hopefully, I’ll get to finish the stuff with Pharrell and get in the studio with Timbaland. He just reached out recently, so I just need to make time to get in the studio, and with such a hectic tour schedule… But hopefully we can make that happen in the next two months, which would be dope.
Your album ‘My Own Lane’ has been doing so well, and the singles are getting a lot of airplay and attention. What are you planning next?
I’m definitely getting back into the studio after the tour, and working on the next project. I feel like the album is still doing what it’s going to do, but I’m used to releasing projects and then forgetting about them so this is the longest I’ve ever focused on one thing. Now I’m ready to get back in the studio and get on a new vibe and switch it up a little bit.
We were just listening to your new mixtape, and it’s great!
We’re trying to get some new stuff out there and having fun, so I’ve done the new mixtape with my crew. I needed to get it done before the summer was over and I feel like I’ve been missing a lot in, you know, the streets and on the internet and stuff that I still want to be part of.
And it’s such a different experience working on a mixtape rather than working on an album…
Yeah, mixtapes are more fun! You don’t have any care for what everyone’s talking about, and it’s a little more about just having fun and not really judging the whole situation. We’re not selling it, so we’re not losing anything either.
Next on your tour is Beirut, and it’s your first time there. What do you expect it’s going to be like?
I have no idea what to expect [laughs]. Nobody’s told me what to expect yet!
You’ll love it! It’s a huge party town.
Ok, then we’ll probably have a lot of fun and agree on a lot of different things over there.
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss our interview with Sharam Jey.