Multi-platinum, Grammy-winning Canadian producer and songwriter Boi-1da (aka Matthew Samuels) moved from Jamaica to Toronto when he was three years old.
As a teenager, he won a beat-making competition in Toronto called Battle of the Beat Makers three times in a row, the first one when was 17.
Boi-1da is now best known for his work with Drake, who he was introduced to by a producer named D10 when they were teenagers in Toronto.
He co-wrote and produced Drake’s first Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit Best I Ever Had in 2010.
He has since co-written multiple worldwide hits with Drake including Forever, Controlla and God’s Plan, which spent 11 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Spotify and Apple Music’s most streamed song globally of 2018.
God’s Plan won Best Rap Song at the 2019 Grammy Awards where Boi-1da received six nominations overall, including for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
In an interview with MBW in July 2020, Boi-1da explained that there’s a misconception that he’s an in-house producer at Drake’s OVO Sound label.
“I’m not really involved in that side of things,” he said. “You know, a lot of people put it that way, that I’m an in-house producer, but I’m not.
“I do my thing, I’m here and there, but that side of stuff, with OVO, I don’t really know what’s going on with that.”
He added: “I work with Drake, he’s one of my favourite artists to work with and one of my best friends, but I also have the opportunity to work with whoever I want, which is what I want. The guys that I look up to, like Timbaland and Pharrell, they worked with multiple artists and had hits with multiple artists.
“I enjoy the variety; you don’t want to eat steak every day, right? I love just making music and stepping outside of my comfort zone.
My entire life, I’ve worked really hard to get where I am and now I just want to live my life to the fullest. When everything’s said and done, I want to be that guy who’s like, ‘I did everything I could have possibly done.’”
Boi-1da also co-wrote No.1 hits like Not Afraid by Eminem and Work by Rihanna featuring Drake. He has also written hits like Be Careful by Cardi B and No Limit by G-Eazy featuring A$AP Rocky & Cardi B.
Other artists Boi-1da has worked with include Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Lil Nas X and Lana Del Rey.
Boi-1da has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards and been named ASCAP Songwriter of the Year.
Boi-1da is signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which extended its long-term global deal with the songwriter and producer in September 2019.Music Business Worldwide