Having spent the majority of the early part of his career behind the control board and not the mic, Kid Ink crafting his production skills working with multi-platinum artists like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sean Kingston as well Yung Berg and Nipsey Hussle. Production came natural for Kid Ink, "I started making the beats because I already had several artists trying the rap thing out, so I thought I would be more useful supplying the production." But sitting behind the board was not enough for Kid Ink. Just a few short years ago, Kid Ink picked up the mic and a new contender in the Hip-Hop game was born.
Honing his skills as a songwriter creating hooks for his beats, Kid Ink stepped up his lyrical repertoire with full length and completed songs.
2010 was a breakout year in the young rapper’s career. Teaming up with world-renowned DJ ill Will and DJ Rockstar’s newly formed Tha Alumni Music Group; Kid Ink became more focused in his grind and began working on the underground hit, Crash Landing Mixtape. His hard work paid off and the music industry began to take notice. Within 10 days of its release, Crash Landing garnered critical acclaim, a position at the top of Datpiff.com’s ‘Top Mixtapes of the Week’ section and amassed an astonishing 50 thousand downloads.
After Crash Landings’ debut, national and international request to perform rolled in. Kid Ink has toured the states with stops in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Denver, Kansas City and Buffalo; and internationally in Toronto, Canada, Zurich, Switzerland, Melbourne, Australia and Krasnador, Russia.
Solidifying himself as a real MC, Kid Ink garnered career-defining features from Hip-Hop and R&B stars including Young Money's Gudda Gudda, Roscoe Dash, Sterling Simms, Bei Maejor, Meek Mill and many more. Kid Ink’s uncompromising work ethic would not allow him to rest on his more than impressive laurels; there needed to be a ‘visual’ movement to showcase his innovative style and unique persona.
Lensed by Director Alex Nazari, Kid Ink released an astounding 8 cutting-edge music videos in 2010 alone. Tearing the Net to shreds, to date his now 26 released videos have garnered a very impressive 50 plus million views.
2011 continued to be phenomenal for the young MC. Having released his (free to the public) sophomore album Daydreamer on June 21st via the internet, the lyrical juggernaut accumulated over 150 thousand downloads in its first week. Fans went ballistic over the album that featured all original production from the likes of The Runners, Lex Luger, Jahlil Beats, Cardiak & Tha Bizness as well as major features from the Cory Gunz, Meek Mill, Ray J, Sean Kingston, Dorrough, Bei Maejor and more.
Bucking the norm of waiting for a major label deal to kick off his career, the rapper has taken his fate in to his own hands and crafted an internet campaign that rivals many of the acts resting high on the Billboard charts. With videos under his belt including Internet sensations “Lowkey Poppin,” “Please” and “Cali Dreamin,’” Kid Ink is definitely rockin’ to his own beat.
Kid Ink continued his 2011 tear by releasing “Wheels Up,” yet another all original Mixtape on October 10th to an overwhelming response. Once again outdoing the numbers his previous project accumulated. Following the release of “Wheels Up,” Ink has been on a mini “Wheels Up” tour including stops in the Bay Area, Denmark, New York, Boston, Toronto, Denver & Chicago to name a few, performing to packed crowds of 600-2,000.
Ink started 2012 red hot as the first single “Time Of Your Life” off his debut album “Up & Away” was picked up in early January by radio & the first week this song was released on iTunes it sold a staggering 20k copies. “Time Of Your Life” peaked at #32 on the Rythmic Radio Charts with 750+ spins a week and has reached an audience of over 100 million selling 160k + singles Independently. In addition, the official video for “Time Of Your Life” has reached over 12 million views on Youtube and was added to regular rotation on MTV Jams and MTV2. Following the success of “Time Of Your Life” and the follow up single “Drippin,” Ink launched his Indie album “Up & Away” in June to commercial success with 20k albums sold the 1st week in the US reaching top 20 on Billboard charts (All Albums) and #2 that week in Hip-Hop/Rap. Immediately following the success of “Up & Away” Ink toured the US, selling out shows throughout the Country including 6 Summer Jam concerts, followed by a headlining “Up & Away” UK Tour that included 25 shows in 35 days – selling out 18 of the shows. “Up & Away” has sold well over 50k albums to date (US) & over 70k worldwide.
After the immediate sales success of “Up & Away,” Ink found himself in a bidding war with all the major labels. Ink decided to cap off his career defining 2012 with another Mixtape in November of 2012 titled “Rocketshipshawty” which has done well over 600k downloads online, followed by 6 videos off the project. Starting off the New Year in 2012 Ink decided to sign a major label deal with RCA Records. On January 3rd, 2013 Ink announced his signing and launched his debut Major Label single “Bad Ass” feat MMG heavyweights Wale & Meek Mill.
His Internet game is just as tight as his rap game. His website, www.kidinkmusic.com gets between 90,000 and 150,000 hits a month, his Facebook page has over a 500,000 Likes, his Twitter game is continually growing with 300k plus Followers, Instagram over 260k follows and via HotNewHipHop.com Kid Ink has a staggering 13 million + digital downloads.
What I Do
Kid Ink Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me what I gotta prove ask round who be killing shit
Every time's game time, this is just a scrimmage bitch
White t, black shades, No I'm not discriminate
Headed to a show, break a leg Shawn Livingston
Money's all I talk, so there's nothing left to implement
Bitch it's the alumni, army militant,
All these hoes love me, watch me play them like an instrument
Trippin' nigga, better watch your temperament
Bitch luckily you living like pimpin' since pimp been pimpin' yeah
Yeah, I said we don't care about rules
You see I'm acting a fool, it ain't nothing new
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
How about enemies, faded as I wanna be
Way out of your league, give a fuck about your commentary
Honestly, see me on your property
Make sure you coming at me properly
I got a list full of haters, room for another
Aw hell roll another one, that's my brother
And we're smoking on that loud, trying to keep it settle
Know we get it popping, didn't mean to bust your bubble
Ah, where the fuck was you when we was coming up?
Now everybody on my line but I don't own nothing
Let me teach them how to grind I could show them something
One button, Aw look like I done started something
Yeah, I said we don't care about rules
You see I'm acting a fool, it ain't nothing new
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
Cock back and reload, live da rockstar life like Axel Rose
Niggas down to the tee, I hardly would agree
How you in my city acting more hollywood than me
When you ain't never been here, you ain't really live dat
Get around my goonies and you niggaz acting fragile
Bitch ass, I will shit right where you sit at
Tahoe and sell em' and give you all da business
Yeah, I said we don't care about rules
You see I'm acting a fool, it ain't nothing new
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do
I don't know about you
But this what I do, this what I do.
The lyrics of Kid Ink's song "What I Do" are quite straightforward and showcase a braggadocious attitude to life in general. Kid Ink is confident in his abilities and what he brings to the table, as he boasts about being able to effortlessly cock back his gun and unload it on his enemies, leaving them leaking like Amber Rose. He asks what he needs to prove, as those who know him know that he kills it every time he goes on stage. For Kid Ink, every time is game time, and even a scrimmage is not something to take lightly.
Kid Ink then talks about his attire, stating that he wears a white T-shirt and black shades, showing that he does not discriminate against anyone. The rapper then mentions his army militant, called the Alumni, which all the girls love and he can play like an instrument. Kid Ink then moves on to talk about his prowess with women, mentioning how he is about to leave the club with two women who are dimes or perfect 10's. Kid Ink warns those who try to cross him, as they may face dire consequences.
In the second verse, Kid Ink talks about his haters and the criticism that he receives. However, he does not pay much attention to them, stating that they are way out of his league. He talks about how he has haters, but that's okay because he has room for more. The rapper states that he does not own anything but people are still lining up to talk to him. Kid Ink takes this opportunity to teach people how to grind, as he is sure he can show them something.
Overall, Kid Ink's song "What I Do" is a confident anthem that celebrates his life and success.
Line by Line Meaning
Cock back and unload, I leave you niggaz leaking like amber rose
I am ready to attack and defeat anyone who stands in my way. If you challenge me, I will beat you badly and leave you wounded just like how Amber Rose leaked her nudes online.
Tell me what I gotta prove ask round who be killing shit
I am the best and most dominant rapper out there. I don't need to prove anything to anyone, just ask around and you'll know who's killing it in the game.
Every time's game time, this is just a scrimmage bitch
I am always ready to perform at my best and give my all. This is just a warm-up match for me, and I will win with ease.
White t, black shades, No I'm not discriminate
I don't judge people by their race or appearance. I wear a simple white t-shirt and black sunglasses, which shows that I am not biased towards anyone.
Headed to a show, break a leg Shawn Livingston
I am going to perform live and give my best, just like how Shawn Livingston does in basketball games. I hope to be as successful as him, and I wish him luck.
Money's all I talk, so there's nothing left to implement
I am all about wealth and financial success. Money is the only thing that's important to me, and I don't need to implement anything else in my life.
Bitch it's the alumni, army militant,
I am part of a strong and dedicated group of rappers who are always ready to fight for what they believe in. We are disciplined and focused, just like a military unit.
All these hoes love me, watch me play them like an instrument
I have many female fans who adore me, and I know how to use their affection to my advantage. They are like instruments to me that I can play to get what I want.
I'm bout to leave the club with 2 dimes that's a 10 for 10
I am going to leave the club with two attractive women, who are both rated 10 out of 10 in my books. They are my perfect 10s for the night.
Trippin' nigga, better watch your temperament
You better be careful with your attitude and behavior, or you might end up in trouble with me. Don't mess with me or you'll regret it.
Bitch luckily you living like pimpin' since pimp been pimpin' yeah
You are fortunate to be living a lavish and extravagant lifestyle like a pimp. This lifestyle has been around for a long time, and you're just lucky to be experiencing it.
How about enemies, faded as I wanna be
I don't care about enemies or anyone who opposes me. They are irrelevant and will fade away just like how I want them to.
Way out of your league, give a fuck about your commentary
I am way above your level, and I don't care about your opinion or what you have to say about me. Your commentary means nothing to me.
Honestly, see me on your property
If you see me on your property, it's because I want to be there. I don't need your permission or approval. I will do what I want and go where I please.
Make sure you coming at me properly
If you want to confront or challenge me, make sure you do it in the right way. Don't come at me with disrespect or I will not engage with you.
I got a list full of haters, room for another
I have a long list of people who hate me, and there's always room for one more. I don't care about their hate or negativity, it only fuels me to strive for success.
Aw hell roll another one, that's my brother
Let's smoke some more weed together, my brother. We are close friends and will always be there for each other, especially in times of relaxation and enjoyment.
And we're smoking on that loud, trying to keep it settle
We are smoking some strong weed and trying to keep it low-key and calm. We don't want any drama or attention, just a chill time with good vibes.
Know we get it popping, didn't mean to bust your bubble
We know how to have fun and get the party going, but we didn't mean to disappoint or upset you. Sorry if we bursted your expectations.
Ah, where the fuck was you when we was coming up?
I don't remember seeing you or hearing about you when we were starting our journey to success. You didn't support or help us, so why should we care about you now?
Now everybody on my line but I don't own nothing
Now everyone is trying to be part of my life and success, but they don't own anything or have any claim to it. They can't take credit for what I've accomplished.
Let me teach them how to grind I could show them something
I am willing to teach others how to work hard and achieve their goals. I have the experience and skills to guide them, and I want to help them succeed.
One button, Aw look like I done started something
I pressed a button or made a move that has caused a big reaction or response. I have started something big and exciting, and I can't wait to see where it leads me.
Cock back and reload, live da rockstar life like Axel Rose
I am ready to fight and win, just like a rockstar performer like Axel Rose. I live a wild and lavish lifestyle, just like him.
Niggas down to the tee, I hardly would agree
People may seem like they understand or relate to me, but I don't think they truly do. They are not on the same level as me.
How you in my city acting more hollywood than me
I am from this city and know it well, but you come here and act like you're better or more famous than me. That's not right or respectful.
When you ain't never been here, you ain't really live dat
You have never lived or experienced this city, so how can you act like you know it better than me? You're not fooling anyone, and you're not living it like me.
Get around my goonies and you niggaz acting fragile
If you hang around my tough and intimidating friends, you might seem strong and tough too. But deep down, you're weak and fragile.
Bitch ass, I will shit right where you sit at
I don't care about your feelings or respect, I will disrespect and insult you right where you stand. You're a coward and a bitch, and I'm not afraid to call you out.
Tahoe and sell em' and give you all da business
I will take your car and sell it, then give you all the details and information about what I did with it. I don't care about your property or assets, I will do what I want with them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DUAT
2020 childhood nostalgia hits different
Jessica Watson
I miss him and how it’s all had me feeling. You’re right
Lamb Sauce
I'm over 50 but this song hits everything
Note
Miss it
YUNGSAVAGE _
forreal
Reddirt soldier
BatGang Alumni!
Yung Sosa
old kid ink was 1000 times better than the new mainstream kid ink
DonNoDraper
👌🔥💯
Ni We
Hes still dope
Zachary Baldonado
true as af