In 2015, Drake danced to Skrt, one of Kodak’s songs, and that’s when his career was defined.
Consequently, people searching for him on Google increased, and he rose to national fame.
Soon after, he launched Lil B.I.G Pac, his 4th mixtape, and it was released by Atlantic Records. This mixtape was his first album to be featured on Billboard.
Back in 2017, he also released Tunnel Vision, his first single that reached the top of various music charts in America.
His single debut gained the 27th spot and secured the number six position on the Billboard Hot 100.
The same year, in August, he released the sequel to Project Baby, and Codeine Dreaming gained immense success and secured the 52nd spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
He released yet another mixtape, named “Heartbreak Kodak” on 2018’s Valentine’s Day, which earned him more fame.
The next year in 2019, he was arrested, but it’s needless to say he gained immense fame during his career and remains one of the most well-known American rappers.
Given his top-notch music, he was nominated for Best New Artist in 2017 for his MTV video music.
His Early Life
Kodak Black was born on June 11th, 1997 in Dieuson Octave, Louisiana.
His real name was Bill Kahan Kapri, and he gained great recognition as an American rapper.
His fame started with No Flockin’ in 2014, Painting Pictures in 2017, and Tunnel Vision.
He has gained mainstream success, but he has a fair share of legal issues and public controversies.
To begin with, his legal issues started when he was in middle school and remained through the late 2010s.
Similarly, he was arrested for possessing weapons in 2019 and was sentenced to four years of prison.
However, it didn’t stop him from going ahead with music since he released Bill Israel in 2020.
The Musical Style
In the majority of cases, his music revolves around the future and present criminal misdeeds, and according to him, he was influenced by Chief Keef and Boosie Badazz.
His voice has been characterized as having a mutinous sound and a manifestly youthful voice.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that he has rejected the old-school concepts of personal catharsis, variety in lyrics, and individualism.
All in all, he has been called the mumble rapper by various critics, so that’s something great for the man!
Personal Life.
There have been a whole lot of controversies involved in Kodak Black’s personal life.
He is often expressed as one of the most dubious rappers with an image that is tarnished with various jail visits for different charges,
including rape, possession of illegal weapons, cannabis, and others.
It was during one of the jail visits that Kodak Black interacted with a Hebrew priest who had him introduced to the sacred Hebrew scriptures and influenced him to convert to becoming a Hebrew Israelite.
He also changed his official name to Bill K. Kapri after converting to become a Hebrew Israelite.
His life has been marred with various up and downs, whereas his demeanor hasn’t helped him either.
He once uploaded a video of himself with other men indulging in oral sex, which was met with strong criticism, and he has since deleted the post from Instagram and issued an apology.
Kodak Black also was clueless about his son with ex-partner Jammiah Broomfield.
He was kept in the dark about his son for one year before it was revealed to him that he had a son born on March 13, 2014.
A Career
Kodak Black had always wanted to be a singer, which is evident by the fact that his singing career began when he was only 12 years old.
Initially, the rapper joined “Brutal Youngnz”, a local small rap group.
Soon, he switched groups and joined “The Kolyons,” with whom he worked for many years.
“Project Baby” was the debut mixtape released by Kodak Black. The album did phenomenal at local nightclubs and was also responsible for bringing fame to the rapper.
Following the success of his debut tape, Kodak released two more mixtapes in successive years, named “Heart of the Projects” and “Institution.”
Another career-defining moment for Kodak Black came when the famous rapper “Drake” danced to his “Skrt” song.
The act blew up the internet, with searches for the dance soaring across the country, bringing national fame to the rapper.
The fourth mixtape from Kodak Black, named “Lil B.I.G Pac,” was another hit and brought even more fame and massive popularity for the rapper.
It was the first mixtape from Kodak Black that made it to the Billboard music charts and thus was another defining moment for the rapper.
The tape was released by Atlantic Records.
Kodak Black’s 2017 single “Tunnel Vision” achieved national acclaim and reached the top of multiple American music charts.
The single reached the 6th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In August of the same year, Kodak released the sequel to his Project Baby album.
“Codeine Dreaming” became a national hit instantly and peaked at the 52nd spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Kodak also released a massive hit on 2018’s Valentine’s Day, “Heartbreak Kodak,” which again topped the national charts.
Controversies Regarding Kodak Black
The life of Kodak Black is marred with controversies.
Even though the rapper keeps up with his vows made in the lyrics of his famous song, “soul bleed on the track,” the pain of his struggles is palpable.
The rapper has the natural talent to communicate the depth of his life struggles, pains, and post-fame challenges in his lyrics, which is perhaps why so many people connect with his songs.
However, besides all his incredible talent and his ability to consistently top the national music charts, Kodak Dark or Bill K.Kapri’s life is full of controversies.
Besides various other controversies, his lyrical paintbrush that he masterfully used to connect with millions of fans has often been the source of backlash due to offensive comments.
Apart from the offensive comments and lyrics, Kodak Black has also been charged for other serious offenses, including possession of weapons, drugs, and rape.
Out of the lot, the rapper was accused of rape in 2016. The trial for the offense is still awaited, where he may be charged with first-degree criminal sexual misconduct.
If convicted, the rapper could face up to 30 years in prison.
However, despite all the controversies surrounding him, Kodak Black has risen in the music industry consistently.
He has delivered some of the most famed singles and mixtapes and has constantly been ranked at the top of the national music charts.
Many of his fans believe that the controversies surrounding Kodak Black are made-up and that he is targeted for being black, young, and gifted.
The Kodak Black Legacy
We still have to wait a long time to see what the legacy of Kodak Black will be.
However, what we do know is that the rapper is quite vocal in his rap about injustices in the US Justice System, systematic poverty, and other social issues like broken families.
We are already seeing the source from where the rapper is nurturing his lyrics – his personal life, where he has experienced many tragedies and pains.
He grew up in South Florida and was initially charged for carjacking while still in middle school.
From the very early days, the famed rapper spent a lot of time in juvenile detention centers.
A broken family with no father, he was pretty vocal about the impact of growing up in a broken family without a father.
Nonetheless, the rapper is still going strong and seems determined to make his mark in the industry.
Provided he is able to get control over his controversies, we may be looking at a strong legacy for Kodak Black, a legacy that’s inspired by Tupac Shakur and others in a similar legion.