Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983),[1] professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British music producer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for producing several hit singles for artists of multiple music genres (mostly hip hop and alternative rock), 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" "Believer") and Cheryl ("Under The Sun").
Alex da Kid | |
|---|---|
 Grant in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander Junior Grant |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 27 August 1983 Bristol, England |
| Origin | Wood Green, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | |
Although he now lives in Los Angeles, 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, is a subdivision of Interscope Records.[2][3] In both 2013 and 2014, Grant (as owner of KIDinaKORNER Records) was chosen by Billboard Magazine for their "Top 40 Under 40."[4] In 2020, Grant released a jazz album titled 000 CHANNEL BLACK, under the pseudonym by.ALEXANDER.
Early life
editAlexander 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[5] 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.[6] He then attended University of West London (UWL) to study towards a master's degree in Audio Technology, now called Advanced Music Technology.[7]
Musical career
editUniversal 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."[8]
In 2011, Grant launched his record label, KIDinaKORNER. In 2012, he co-written and co-produced multiple songs for Christina Aguilera's seventh studio album Lotus.[9]
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.[10] In 2017, Grant released his second track, "American Funeral" which was a co-written collaboration with Joseph Angel.[11]
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.[12]
On 27 August 2020, Grant released his first full-length project, a jazz album titled 000 CHANNEL BLACK, under the moniker by.ALEXANDER.[13] The album features guest appearances from 070 Shake, Tanerélle, Charles Bukowski, Michèle Lamy, Rainsford and Irina Shayk.
Other ventures
editIn 2020, Grant founded _by.ALEXANDER, his own luxury fashion label.[14] 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.[15]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 000 CHANNEL BLACK[16] |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Not Easy" (Alex da Kid featuring X Ambassadors, Elle King and Wiz Khalifa) |
2016 | non-album singles |
| "American Funeral"[17] (Alex da Kid and Joseph Angel) |
2017 | |
| "Go 2.0" (Alex da Kid featuring Jorja Smith, H.E.R. and Rapsody) |
2018 | |
| "Trumpets"[18] (by.ALEXANDER featuring 070 Shake) |
2020 | 000 CHANNEL BLACK |
| "le merveilleux résumé"[19] |
Production discography
editSingles produced
edit| 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) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 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)"[33] (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 [34] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | non-album singles | ||
| "American Funeral" (Alex da Kid and Joseph Angel)[17] |
2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Thunder" (Imagine Dragons) |
4 | --- | --- | 2 | 18 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
|
EVOLVE | |
References
edit- ^ "BMI | Repertoire Search". Repertoire.bmi.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ "Alex da Kid". Grammy awards. 30 November 2011.
- ^ Tingen, Paul (December 2011). "Alex da Kid: From Football To Music Recording". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ Zemler, Emily (29 July 2013). "40 Under 40: Alex da Kid". Billboard. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
- ^ "Alex da Kid: The Brit behind 2010's biggest hit". BBC News. 21 December 2010.
- ^ Kondo, Toshitaka (2010). Production Credit (Alex da Kid). XXL Magazine. p. 103.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "MA Advanced Music Technology". London College of Music (LCM). University of West London (UWL).
- ^ "Interview with Jessica Rivera". HitQuarters. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera – Lotus (2012, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (21 October 2016). "Alex da Kid Taps Wiz Khalifa, X Ambassadors, Elle King for Debut Single". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ Hazel, Allison (24 February 2017). "Alex da Kid & Joseph Angel Release New Collab 'American Funeral': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ Rob Putnam (26 January 2015). "Alex da Kid on Production Process and Philosophy feature". Music Connection. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "Alex da Kid Returns as by.ALEXANDER for New Album '000 CHANNEL BLACK'". Hypebeast.com. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Alex da Kid Just Launched His Own Luxury Fashion Label, _by.ALEXANDER". Vmagazine.com. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Alex da Kid Debuts First Collection From His Own Luxury Fashion Label". Hypebeast.com. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "000 CHANNEL BLACK by _BY.ALEXANDER". Music.apple.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b "American Funeral - Single by Alex da Kid & Joseph Angel on Apple Music". iTunes Store. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ "TRUMPETS (feat. 070 Shake) - Single by _BY.ALEXANDER". Music.apple.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "_by.ALEXANDER Releases 2-track Single 'Trumpets' | Amazing New Jazz". Urbanbridez.com. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank: B.o.B" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d "BPI – Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (To access, enter the search parameter "Rihanna" and select "Search by Keyword") on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ "Top 50 Singles Chart: Chart #1727 (Monday 28 June 2010)". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ^ "American album certifications – Eminem – Love the Way You Lie". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ^ "American album certifications – Dr. Dre – I Need a Doctor". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Veckolista Singlar – Vecka 36, 6 september 2013" (in Swedish). Grammofon Leverantörernas Förening. Archived from the original (select "Föreg" to access chart issue) on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 10 February 2014". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 07 October 2013". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ "Veckolista Singlar – Vecka 59, 2 November 2013" (in Swedish). Grammofon Leverantörernas Förening. Archived from the original (select "Föreg" to access chart issue) on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 07 October 2013". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ^ "Jungle (Remix) [feat. JAY Z] - Single". iTunes. January 2014.
- ^ "ARIA CHART WATCH #407". auspOp. 11 February 2017. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.