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 It Feels Like
Kid Ink Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can tell you what it feels like
Up all night, waitin' for a deal like
Nigga this is real life, real light
I ain't have a meal night
I can tell you what it feels like
I can tell you what it feels like
I can tell you what it feels like
In the back of the 'Lac
AC/DC Back In Black
Just ABC's don't worry bout that
I ain't worried bout nothin'
Been on the road 6 summers
Now I'm back on the o'block stuntin'
Ain't shit changed and it's home mothafucka
Bet a hunnid that my old bitch still love me, leave me alone
You know I couldn't be hear alone
I got the team here to even it off
Do whatever we feel like, feel like you ain't even involved
Man this shit is too real life
I can tell you what it
I can tell you what it feels like
Better know this shit is real life
I can tell you what it's
Like when niggas with nothin'
They always wanna say somethin'
Pay 'em no attention that's what made me on top
Bitch I'm in beast mode, make me a ?
Everybody caught up comin' from the lobby
But you know a nigga still ?
Sleepin' on me with the five footie year old pajamas
I'm just tryna eat, feelin' so piranha
Leave me alone
What would you really do if you be doin' me
Say I sold out, just mad you can't afford me
I'm comin' at your face, kinda hard can't ignore me
Full speed, hit the gas and we roarin'
Yeah, I can tell you what it
In Kid Ink's song "What It Feels Like," the rapper reflects on his journey in the music industry and how he has overcome several challenges to become successful. The opening lines of the chorus, "I can tell you what it feels like, up all night, waitin' for a deal like. Nigga this is real life, real light. I ain't have a meal night," address the hustle and hard work that Kid Ink has put into his career. He talks about the long nights that he spent waiting for an opportunity to make it big in the music industry and how this is not just a dream but a reality that he lives every day.
As the song progresses, Kid Ink references his success in the music industry and how he has managed to remain on top despite the challenges that come with it. He talks about how he has been on the road for six summers and still manages to come back home and "stunt" without anything changing. The line "Man, this shit is too real life" underscores the fact that his life is not just about parties and fame, but also hard work and challenges that he has to overcome consistently.
In the second verse, Kid Ink addresses the haters who try to bring him down by saying that they are always the ones with nothing to offer. He advises that paying them no attention is the best way to stay on top, highlighting the fact that his success is not just about his talent but also his ability to remain focused on his goals, regardless of the circumstances. Overall, the song is a reflection of Kid Ink's journey as a rapper and his decision to keep pushing despite the challenges that may come his way.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, I can tell you what it, yeah yeah
I have the experience and knowledge to describe what it's like, definitely
I can tell you what it feels like
I can express the emotions that come with this situation
Up all night, waitin' for a deal like
Spending sleepless nights, awaiting for an opportunity to come through
Nigga this is real life, real light
This is the reality, clear and straightforward
I ain't have a meal night
I haven't had a decent meal all night
Better know this shit is real life
You need to understand that this is not some fantasy or game, this is real life
In the back of the 'Lac
Riding in the back seat of the Cadillac
AC/DC Back In Black
Listening to AC/DC's classic song titled Back In Black
Just ABC's don't worry bout that
Just simple, basic stuff, nothing to worry about
I ain't worried bout nothin'
I'm not concerned with anything
Been on the road 6 summers
Spent six whole summers touring
Now I'm back on the o'block stuntin'
I'm back in the neighborhood, showing off and making a statement
Ain't shit changed and it's home mothafucka
Things are still the same and this is my hometown, damn it
Bet a hunnid that my old bitch still love me, leave me alone
I'm willing to bet that my ex-girlfriend still has feelings for me, so leave me alone about it
You know I couldn't be hear alone
I can't just be here by myself, I need my team with me
I got the team here to even it off
I have my team here to balance things out and make it fair
Do whatever we feel like, feel like you ain't even involved
We do what we want, and it's like you don't even matter
Man this shit is too real life
This situation is incredibly real and intense
Like when niggas with nothin'
This is like when people who have nothing want to say something
They always wanna say somethin'
These people always have something to say
Pay 'em no attention that's what made me on top
I didn't waste my time paying attention to them, that's how I became successful
Bitch I'm in beast mode, make me a ?
I'm in a fierce, unstoppable mode, and nothing can stand in my way
Everybody caught up comin' from the lobby
Everyone is trying to catch up, coming from behind
But you know a nigga still ?
But despite that, I'm still ahead of the game somehow
Sleepin' on me with the five footie year old pajamas
Underestimating me while dressed in childish pajamas
I'm just tryna eat, feelin' so piranha
I'm just trying to survive and thrive, feeling like a predator
What would you really do if you be doin' me
What would you do if you were in my position?
Say I sold out, just mad you can't afford me
Claiming I've sold out just because you can't compete with me
I'm comin' at your face, kinda hard can't ignore me
I'm approaching you directly and aggressively, making it impossible to ignore me
Full speed, hit the gas and we roarin'
We're going at full speed, accelerating and roaring like a beast
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN COLLINS, JONATHAN KING, JULIO SANTIAGO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Noah Dalton
on Ride Out
da shit