ARTIST: Kid Ink
ALBUM: Full Speed
LABEL: RCA
RELEASE DATE: February 3, 2015
Ink to Paper
Written by Jeremy Weeden
With Full Speed, LA-based rapper Kid Ink returns to the music scene with his second full-length studio album. Having already showcased a knack for hit records including the double platinum smash “Show Me” and the gold single “Main Chick” from his first album, Kid Ink looks to continue his streak with Full Speed.
Full Speed begins with the trumpet-heavy “What it Feels Like” where Kid Ink raps about what it was like for him before he it big as well as problems he has encountered now that he has found success. “Dolo” features R. Kelly and has a nice, mellow summer vibe to it. This song is about seeing a pretty girl and wondering if she came “dolo,” should be a hit if released as a single.
“Body Language” featuring Usher and Tinashe is the album’s first single. This catchy song is already all over the airwaves and has continued Kid Ink’s success with hit radio singles. “Hotel” features Chris Brown and is also a future single with the upbeat synth beat and the song’s easily repeatable hook which borrows from Mase’s 90’s hit, “Lookin at Me.”
“Cool Back” is a perfect song for riding to or playing in the club with Kid Ink’s hook of “I walk in this bitch, like a motherfuckin villain/Fashion police should arrest that nigga/I’m just tryna bring cool back.”
“Be Real” features Detroit newcomer, Dej Loaf on the hook. Over the DJ Mustard-produced beat, Kid Ink drops a memorable verse including the lines “Fat Joe pockets lean back a recliner/I’m in this representing West Side/Lotta people try to tell me I’m the next guy/Batgang got it tatted by my left eye/Chain gang over here, no neck tie/Bitch you know I’m all about the business/From beginning to the ending never simpin, never slippin/Sippin P-A-T-R-O-to the-N/And if I’m in the building know it’s complaints from the tenants.”
“Every City We Go” features Migos and is about the love the rappers receive in the multiple cities they visit. This song is often played on NBA game broadcasts showing Kid Ink’s wide appeal.
“About Mine” is produced by DJ Mustard and features Trey Songz. This potential single is about the dedication and focus the two have. “Like a Hot Boy” features current hip-hop hook master Young Thug.
“Show Must Go On” feature Machine Kelly and singer Math Allen on the hook. Kid Ink and Machine Gun Kelly trade rapid-fire flows over a hard hitting drum heavy beat. “POV” is yet another potential single with its Euro club beat and lyrics about videotaping sexual situations in “POV.”
With Full Speed, Kid Ink shows he still has a penchant for giving the radio exactly what it wants. The album has multiple prospective singles and is full of catchy hooks and danceable beats. With his debut album, Kid Ink found his own lane within mainstream success and Full Speed finds him staying squarely in it.