Kid Ink is ready to paint the town red. The LA-based rapper has made his way back to the UAE to perform at Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s People by Crystal nightclubs on August 28 and 29, right before jetting off for a two-month-long European tour.
“I’ve never been gone for this long,” the 28-year-old told tabloid! on Thursday. “It’s definitely a ride. I think it will be cool though. I’m definitely used to the bus living and hotel living at this point.”
Born Brian Todd Collins, Kid Ink made headlines this month when his dog allegedly attacked a pizza delivery man and when he was reportedly arrested for “disturbing the peace” in Las Vegas.
Talking about the UAE, he says he hasn’t been up to anything too crazy in the capital city, which he finds to be “chiller” than Dubai. Ahead of his gigs, the Show Me rapper caught us up on his favourite collaboration, avoiding online reviews and sticking to his indie roots after releasing his 2014 album, My Own Lane, on a major label.
Q. What lessons did making My Own Lane teach you?
A. The lesson I learned more than anything was not to put any different pressure on it than I would on any other project before, and just have fun. I think there was definitely a pressure put on making an album and feeling like it was my first major-label album that so many brand new people were going to hear, but at the end of the day, the best records came from when I was just having fun and being the artist that I was before the deal.
Q. Are you the type of person to go online and read reviews of your albums when they drop?
A. Not really — I read comments from fans and things like that. Reviews can be biased, and can be what some people who listen to a certain type of music have to say, especially when it’s the same person doing [all] the reviews.
Q. What were some of the reactions to this album that stuck with you?
A. The ones that were from the fans who I gained before the label situation, and they felt like everything was just the same, you know? Nothing changed. It wasn’t a situation where everyone was like, “Oh, Kid Ink changed since he signed with a label and the album sounds nothing like what I wanted it to.”
Q. What has been one of your most fun collaborations?
A. I think [it was] when I was just recording the album — when I had the sessions with Pharrell, even though the songs didn’t make the album.
Q. Do you listen to any guilty pleasure music?
A. I pretty much listen to everything, so it’s kind of hard to say. I don’t have a problem listening to all kinds of music and making all types of music, so it’s not really a guilty pleasure — more so, I definitely appreciate all genres for themselves. I think a hit song is a hit song.
