Pickering’s Boi-1da nominated for Grammys for work with Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar

Pickering-raised music producer, Boi-1da, leads the pack among Canadians at the Grammys after netting nominations for his work on Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar albums and for Producer of the Year.

Boi-1da is listed as a nominated producer for Album of the year for his work on Beyonce’s Renaissance and Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

Renaissance marks Queen B’s first solo record in six years, following 2016’s Lemonade. While her previous album served as a lament over her husband Jay-Z’s infidelity, Renaissance offers a more joyful sound arranged like a DJ mix.

However, like its predecessor, the new release offers a wide genre exploration ranging from dance, house disco and pop stylings amid a plethora of sub-genre.

The album features numerous producers with Boi-1da credited on just one, the hit track “Heated,” an upbeat densely-layered and effortlessly cool celebration.

The album has dominated the Grammy nominations for 2023 bringing Beyonce to a record 88 career nominations, tied with Jay-Z.

However, that’s not the only album of the year nod for Boi-1da. He’s also listed on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Lamar’s follow-up to 2017’s Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. 

Lamar’s newest record continues the rapper’s fascination with multi-genre poetical ruminations on self and society, this time as a sprawling, epic double album of 18 songs.

Cited as a producer on two of these tracks, “N95” and “Silent Hill” is Boi-1da. “N95” runs a dark, caustic attack on American society. “Silent Hill” meanwhile features a crisper groovier sound. However the later track garnered controversy for featuring Kodak Black, who had been accused of sexual assault in 2916 amid other legal issues.

Boi-1der is also up for Producer of the Year for his work with Beyonce and Lamar as well as songs with Cordae, Jack Harlow, Travis Scott, Ella Mai, and Giveon.

Boi-1da, born Matthew Samuels in Jamaica, was raised primarily in Ajax and attended Pickering High School. He launched his production career at 18 and worked on two tracks for the early Drake mixtape Room for Improvement (2006).

From there he went to work with Dr. Dre on an ultimately unreleased album. He then went on to produce Eminem’s 2010 hit “Not Afraid” the lead single of Recovery. He next worked on Drake’s second studio album Take Care (2011).

Since then he’s worked on dozens of songs by some of the top names in hip hop including further work with Eminem, Drake, Rick Ross, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Jay-z, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Nas X among many others.

His work has garnered him 18 Grammy nominations primarily for his work with Drake and Eminem, including a win for the former’s “God’s Plan” in 2019.