Producer Alex Da Kid has had quite the year, collaborating with Eminem and Rihanna on the chart-topping "Love the Way You Lie" as well as B.o.B and Hayley Williams on the equally anthemic "Airplanes." Now that the 2011 Grammy nominations have been announced, Alex has racked up a few nods, and his two biggest hits will even duke it out for Record of the Year.
MTV News caught up with Alex via phone Thursday (December 2), and he said he was extremely excited about the recognition but wasn't surprised: He knew these songs would put him on the map from day one.
"I remember sitting in the studio with Em and being like, 'I'm writing my Grammy speech right now,' " Alex recalled. "He hates all that stuff, and he hates it when I say stuff like that, but I really believed in it from the start."
Alex's first major song was B.o.B's "Airplanes," which he said paved the way for his second Grammy-nominated song, "Love the Way You Lie." Eminem — who received 10 nominations himself — is featured on "Airplanes Pt. II," and Alex said their relationship grew from there.
The rookie producer faces stiff competition in the Record of the Year category — where he faces off against Cee Lo's "F--- You," Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" — but Alex remains confident about his chances.
"I mean, I think they're pretty good," he told of his pair of tracks. "I'm a confident person, and they're my favorite songs out of the category we're in, but you never know."
Do you think Alex has a good shot come Grammy night? Let us know in the comments!