LOS ANGELES (AP) — Boi-1da considers himself a sidekick to some of the biggest music performers, from Drake to Rihanna, and he is now…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Boi-1da considers himself a sidekick to some of the biggest music performers, from Drake to Rihanna, and he is now being thrust into the Grammy spotlight for his standout production work.
The Jamaica-born, Toronto-raised producer is nominated for six Grammys, including three in the best rap song category, thanks to his work on Drake’s « God’s Plan, » Eminem’s « Lucky You » and Jay Rock’s « Win. » He earned a record-of-the-year nod and another for non-classical producer of the year, where he’s competing against Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Linda Perry and Larry Klein.
In the past decade, Boi-1da has garnered 14 Grammy nominations from a slew of smash hits such as Drake’s « Best I Ever Had » and « 0 to 100/The Catch Up, » Kendrick Lamar’s « The Blacker The Berry » and Rihanna’s « Work. » He’s also worked alongside Beyonce, Jay Z, Travis Scott, G-Eazy and Cardi B.
The 32-year-old recently spoke with The Associated Press while sitting poolside at a $20-million home overlooking Los Angeles. He talked about competing with himself, whether he deserves to win producer of the year and whether he’s ever written lyrics for Drake.
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AP: Where does the name Boi-1da come from?
Boi-1da: I got the name while sitting around in high school with a bunch of my friends. We had a rap group, but I really didn’t want to rap. I’m really into comic books. I like Batman. So you know Robin is called the Boy Wonder. He’s the sidekick to Batman. As a producer, you’re kind of the sidekick to the artist.
AP: So you’ve really embraced being a sidekick?
Boi-1da: Yeah, definitely.
