Despite his shy demeanour, Boi-1da is the man behind some of the most listened to global hits. The Jamaican-born songwriter and producer now with twenty years under his belt, was instrumental in constructing the ‘Toronto sound’ and his contributions help put Canada on the map. Throughout his career he has worked with names like Drake, Rihanna, Kanye West, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Dr. Dre, Timbaland and more.

Matthew Jehu Samuels otherwise known as Boi-1da, was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to Toronto, Canada at a young age. Growing up, he listened to dancehall and slowly began exploring other genres once moved to the city. While many artists at a young age aim for the spotlight, Boi1-da always felt more comfortable behind the scenes. He fell in love with production in the ninth grade after being introduced to software FL Studio; his mother also bought him a keyboard around this time. He began exploring different sounds and was immediately hooked.

With the encouragement of some friends, a 17 year old Boi1-da competed in Battle of the Beat Makers– a Toronto competition. He won against more seasoned vets three years consecutively; his career took off directly after. Fellow producer D10 introduced him to a young Drake, fresh off Degrassi. They began working together on his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement. This album gave them their first radio spot for track “Do What You Do” and became a local hit. They then began working on album So Far Gone which housed track “Best I Ever Had”. Needless to say, that song went global and cemented the duo in the industry.

Since then, Boi1-da has been behind international hits like “Work” by Rihanna, “HEATED” by Beyonce, “Not Afraid” by Eminem, “Gods Plan” by Drake (which earned him a Grammy) and countless others. The bonafide hitmaker claims he owes his success to his ability to adapt. He has released several of his own projects including Bare Sounds and The Concept A.I.bum. These beat packs allow other producers to use his own mixes and sounds; he was one of the first to share his work for others use.

Boi-1da recently won the International Achievement award at the 2025 JUNOs. He was also dubbed the new National Teams Ambassador for Soccer Canada as they gear up for the 2026 FIFA cup, which Canada will host. Boi1-da still resides in Canada, just outside the city. The diversity and people of Toronto help inspire his music, and he is proud to represent the North.