“Hip-hop is my life, soul, identity that no other words can perfectly show my characteristics.” This statement is claimed by Brian Todd Collins, best known by his stage name Kid Ink. Sweeping the billboard chart for his sensational beat, rhythm, and melody line, Kid Ink has already paved his way to become the next “Snoop Dogg.” Put on your Snapback and get ready to sympathize with his artistic ardor.

Starting to gain popularity for his first mixtape World Tour, Kid Ink’s debut was rather unusual as he grabbed the attention of DJ Ill Will, who is connected with the hip-hop site, HotNewHipHop. Under the help of DJ Will, Kid Ink was able to produce more mixtapes to communicate with the international audience more frequently, which eventually formulated his reputation among the manias.

In January, Kid Ink scored his highest position on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums as “My Own Lane” opened at number two with 50,000 copies already sold. It is quite uncommon for a newbie rapper to make when considering the fact that this was his very first formal album. Consisting of 18 songs in total, “My Own Lane” depicts Kid Ink’s abstract and philosophical insights toward the world by reflecting upon his past life and criticizing the overall structure of our society. 

On the album's opener "Hello World", Ink employs a catchy sing-song flow over pop rock drums and a joyous piano-backed instrumental. One of the songs, "The Movement", features Ink rapping about his success over a kinetic drum beat, horns and brooding bass produced by Danja, who is the celebrated record producer. Two collaborations, "No Option" featuring King Los and "Murda" featuring Pusha T, are lyrical assaults and the "hardened core" of the album. 

One of his title songs, “Show Me”, which is featured by the renowned R&B singer Chris Brown, is a romantic love song where a man describes his affection toward a woman. This song displays syncopating drum beats and a mysterious yet tailoring piano melody to mesmerize the listeners. It is generally met with positive reviews in that many critics called it a “light, airy and attractive track. 

Another sensational song, “Iz U Down”, is a club-oriented track that details Ink and Tyga in the club flirting with an attractive woman that catches their eyes. In this song, Ink unleashes a rather dexterous flow and the lyric has a subdued appeal that hallucinates the listeners who do not apprehend the meaning right away. By casting a straightforward question to the woman: “Is you down?”, Kid vividly portrays the scenes in which a man hooks up with a random woman in the club.

This album is very unique, not just for Kid Ink’s rapping style and lyrics, but also for the fact that there are four title songs. The other three title songs, “Main Chick”, “No Miracles”, and “Bad Ass”, shows his masterful ability to reinvent the genre’s strengths and refashion it into a sound that moves forward while maintaining its LA hip-hop roots. Unlike any other rappers, Kid Ink comforts the listeners with his cloud rapping, a style of hip-hop noted for its use of “ethereal, dreamlike beats” and frequently stream of consciousness or absurd lyrics. 

“My Own Lane” debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on Top Rap Albums. As this index shows, his music is electrifying and adventurous enough to excite the hip-hop fanatics. He deserves the title of the “Next Snoop Dogg” and the one who will take responsibility for the upcoming generation of hip-hop.

▲ Kid Ink’s Album Cover My Own Lane. Provided by urbanpinas.com