Alex da Kid
British music producer (born 1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983),[1] known professionally as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British music producer from Wood Green, London. He is known for his production work on songs for music industry artists, such as Dr. Dre ("I Need a Doctor"), Nicki Minaj ("Massive Attack"), B.o.B ("Airplanes" featuring Hayley Williams), Eminem ("Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna), Matthew Koma ("Stars"), Diddy ("Coming Home" with Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey), Imagine Dragons ("Radioactive" "Demons") and Cheryl ("Under The Sun"). His style is noted for its blending of pop, hip-hop and alternative rock.[2]
- Alex da Kidd
- by.ALEXANDER
27 August 1983
Alex da Kid | |
|---|---|
Grant in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | Alexander Junior Grant 27 August 1983 Bristol, England |
| Origin | Wood Green, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | |
| Publisher | Universal Music Publishing Group |
The Evening Standard named him one of "London's Most Influential People in 2011." He has been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards including Album of the Year for his work on Rihanna's Loud. His record label, Kidinakorner, has been an imprint of Interscope Records since 2011.[3][4] In both 2013 and 2014, Grant (as owner of Kidinakorner Records) was chosen by Billboard magazine for their "Top 40 Under 40."[5] In 2020, Grant released a jazz album titled 000 CHANNEL BLACK, under the pseudonym by.ALEXANDER.
Early life
Alexander Junior Grant was born 27 August 1983 in North London, to a Jamaican father and an English mother. Grant was a professional footballer, playing for Bristol City[6] until 19 years of age, at which time a friend introduced him to the digital music editing software FruityLoops, prompting an interest in music production.[7] He then attended University of West London (UWL) to study towards a master's degree in Audio Technology, now called Advanced Music Technology.[8]
Musical career
Universal Music Publishing Group's Jessica Rivera first heard about Grant in 2009 though Grant's lawyer Scott Felcher. On request, Grant sent Rivera some of his music, and the publishing executive later related her reactions to HitQuarters: "It hit me right away that this dude had something different to bring to the table ... He wasn't just straight up hip-hop – his sound was very different and transcended genres."[9]
In 2011, Grant launched his record label, Kidinakorner. In 2012, he co-wrote and co-produced multiple songs for Christina Aguilera's seventh studio album Lotus.[10]
In 2016, Grant released his first solo project as an artist. The single, "Not Easy" features X Ambassadors, Elle King and Wiz Khalifa via Kidinakorner/RCA Records. The track was written and produced by Alex da Kid for Kidinakorner, Sam Harris, Casey Harris, Adam Levin, Elle King, and Wiz Khalifa.[11] In 2017, Grant released his second track, "American Funeral" which was a co-written collaboration with Joseph Angel.[12]
In a Music Connection magazine cover story from January 2015, Grant said, as a producer, he co-writes everything that he works on with the artists.[13]
On 27 August 2020, Grant released his first full-length project, a jazz album titled 000 CHANNEL BLACK, under the moniker by.ALEXANDER.[14] The album features guest appearances from 070 Shake, Tanerélle, Charles Bukowski, Michèle Lamy, Rainsford and Irina Shayk.
Other ventures
In 2020, Grant founded _by.ALEXANDER, his own luxury fashion label.[15] His debut collection, called "000 CHANNEL BLACK", features a mix of one-off pieces and elevated sportswear styles. Actor Gary Busey and model Irina Shayk star in the first editorial campaign, kicking off the launch. Designed and developed in Los Angeles by Grant himself, the unisex 19-piece collection is full of contrasting details and juxtapositions.[16]
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Not Easy" (Alex da Kid featuring X Ambassadors, Elle King and Wiz Khalifa) |
2016 | non-album singles |
| "American Funeral"[19] (Alex da Kid and Joseph Angel) |
2017 | |
| "Go 2.0" (Alex da Kid featuring Jorja Smith, H.E.R. and Rapsody) |
2018 | |
| "Trumpets"[20] (by.ALEXANDER featuring 070 Shake) |
2020 | 000 CHANNEL BLACK |
| "le merveilleux résumé"[21] | ||
Production discography
Singles produced
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Rap |
AUS | CAN | FRA | GER | NZ | SWE | UK | ||||
| "Massive Attack" (Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett) |
2010 | 122 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Airplanes" (B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore) |
2 | 65 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 89 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 1 | B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray | ||
| "Love the Way You Lie" (Eminem featuring Rihanna) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Recovery | ||
| "Coming Home" (Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey) |
11 | 83 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 4 | Last Train to Paris | ||
| "I Need a Doctor" (Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey) |
2011 | 4 | 124 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 29 | 25 | 23 | 56 | 8 | non-album single | |
| "Words I Never Said" (Lupe Fiasco featuring Skylar Grey) |
89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Lasers | ||
| "Rise Above 1" (Reeve Carney featuring Bono and The Edge) |
74 | — | — | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark | ||
| "Dance Without You" (Skylar Grey) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album singles | ||
| "Invisible" (Skylar Grey) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | — | 63 | |||
| "Invincible" (MGK featuring Ester Dean) |
108 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Lace Up | ||
| "Under the Sun" (Cheryl) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | A Million Lights | ||
| "C'mon Let Me Ride" (Skylar Grey featuring Eminem) |
2012 | — | — | — | — | 84 | — | — | 17 | — | — | Don't Look Down | |
| "Radioactive" (Imagine Dragons) |
3 | — | — | 6 | 5 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 12 | Night Visions | ||
| "Demons" (Imagine Dragons) |
2013 | 6 | — | — | 11 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 13 | ||
| "On Top of the World" (Imagine Dragons) |
79 | — | — | 10 | 43 | 35 | 13 | 10 | 40 | 34 | |||
| "Final Warning" (Skylar Grey) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Don't Look Down | ||
| "Monster" (Imagine Dragons) |
78 | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | Smoke + Mirrors (Deluxe Edition) | ||
| "Jungle (Remix)"[35] (X Ambassadors and Jamie N Commons featuring Jay Z) |
2014 | 87 | — | — | — | 62 | 55 | 44 | — | — | 18 | non-album single | |
| "I Bet My Life" (Imagine Dragons) |
28 | — | — | 36 | 15 | 42 | 65 | 28 | — | 27 |
|
Smoke + Mirrors | |
| "Bed of Lies" (Nicki Minaj featuring Skylar Grey) |
62 | 19 | — | 7 | 41 | 134 | — | 13 | 11 | 73 | The Pinkprint | ||
| "Gold" (Imagine Dragons) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Smoke + Mirrors | ||
| "Burning Bridges" (Ludacris featuring Jason Aldean) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ludaversal | ||
| "American Oxygen" (Rihanna) |
2015 | 78 | — | — | 65 | 59 | 25 | 39 | — | 11 | 71 | non-album single | |
| "Renegades" (X Ambassadors) |
17 | — | — | 43 | 6 | 10 | 10 | — | 70 | 38 |
|
VHS | |
| "Unsteady" (X Ambassadors) |
20 | — | — | 94 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Sucker for Pain" (Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Logic, Ty Dolla Sign and X Ambassadors) |
2016 | 15 | 3 | — | 7 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 11 |
|
Suicide Squad |
| "Not Easy" (Alex da Kid featuring X Ambassadors, Elle King and Wiz Khalifa) |
— | — | — | 73 [36] | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album singles | ||
| "American Funeral" (Alex da Kid and Joseph Angel)[19] |
2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Thunder" (Imagine Dragons) |
4 | --- | --- | 2 | 18 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
|
EVOLVE | |