Alex da Kid sits down inside of a dining area at Los Angeles, California’s House of Blues and appears to be relieved. When asked how he feels during this year’s Grammy weekend, he says he’s been a bit “tired,” but it’s only because it’s been a busy one for the Kid.  

“Imagine Dragons are performing with Kendrick so there have been a lot of rehearsals,” Alex da Kid says, wearing a T-shirt with Bill Murray’s portrait on it. “We’ve been rehearsing for months now. We’ve been doing a lot of technical things with the rehearsals and stuff. On top of that, we’ve been going to some of the parties and some of the meetings. It’s been exhausting, but it’s good. It’s fun.” 

At least part of that fun, as he mentions, comes from his work with Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar, a pairing that may seem unlikely to some. For Alex da Kid, this is actually a collaborative performance that is “perfect.” 

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“I think it’s a perfect collaboration,” Alex da Kid says in an exclusive interview with HipHopDX. “They’re both really representing the new school…a new form of music that I’m excited about. Kendrick is obviously like the new guy in Rap who is killin’ it right now. We’re like the new guys of Rock. I think it sums up where music is going. Kendrick is so eclectic with how he writes and what beats he picks that it’s just effortless when they get together. He has no problem rhyming over Rock. The same goes for Imagine Dragons. My goal when I started them was to mix Hip Hop and Rock together. They both [represent] where music is going.” 

Alex da Kid Says Imagine Dragons Members Love Hip Hop

The mix of Rap and Rock at this year’s Grammys is one that comes natural for Imagine Dragons, Alex da Kid says. 

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“It’s real for the guys,” he says to HipHopDX. “I never want to do anything that doesn’t feel real. The lead singer, Dan [Reynolds], grew up on Eminem. They really love Hip Hop. They just happen to be Rock musicians. In the old days, I feel things were more segregated, but now, people listen to everything. You could listen to Kings of Leon and Wu-Tang [Clan]. That’s what people do and I love that.” 

Alex da Kid sat at the House of Blues for this interview as part of BMI’s How I Wrote That Song event, where the producer shared several stories behind many of his hits, including Eminem’s Rihanna-assisted “Love The Way You Lie.” During the session, which can be explored further here, Alex spoke about how Diddy’s Dirty Money track “Coming Home” was originally meant for T.I. and how Jay Z wrote Diddy’s verses for the selection

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