Kodak Black facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kodak Black
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Kodak Black in 2018
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| Birth name | Dieuson Octave | ||||
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| Born | June 11, 1997 Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2009–present | ||||
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Criminal information
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Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 song "No Flockin". Atlantic Records then re-released "No Flockin" as his debut single the following year, where it marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. A 2017 follow-up single, "Tunnel Vision" would reach further success at number six on the Hot 100, preceding his debut album, Painting Pictures (2017). The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, and saw continued mainstream success with its follow up, Dying to Live (2018), as it peaked at number one on the chart. Dying to Live was led by the single "Zeze" (featuring Travis Scott and Offset), which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Kodak Black's career has been marked by periods of mainstream success, as well as public controversies and legal issues. His legal troubles began in middle school and spiked crucially throughout the late 2010s. In 2019, Black was arrested for making false statements to possess weapons and was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison; his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump in 2021. While incarcerated, he released his third studio album Bill Israel (2020), which saw less promotion and commercial orientation. His fourth studio album, Back for Everything (2022) marked a resurgence as it was preceded by the single "Super Gremlin", which peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100. His fifth and sixth albums, Pistolz & Pearlz and When I Was Dead (both 2023) followed thereafter.
Early life
Kodak Black was born Dieuson Octave on June 11, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida, the son of Haitian immigrant Marcelene Octave. He later legally changed his name to Bill Kahan Kapri. Kodak Black was raised by his mother in Golden Acres, a public housing project in Pompano Beach.
Kodak Black started rapping in elementary school. He spent his youth reading thesauruses and dictionaries to further his vocabulary. Kodak Black frequently participated in brawls and breaking and entering with his friends. He was expelled from school in the fifth grade for fighting and was arrested for auto theft while in middle school.
From the age of six, Kodak Black used the nickname "Black". He also used the nickname "Lil' Black". When he joined Instagram he chose the username "Kodak Black", "...'cause you know Kodak, that's pictures and all that." This later became his stage name when he started to rap and name favored by his fans.
Career
2009–2015: Beginnings and Project Baby
In 2009, at age 12, Kodak Black joined a rap group called Brutal Youngnz, under the stage name J-Black. He then joined a local rap group called The Kolyons. In December 2013, Kodak Black released his first mixtape, Project Baby, followed in December 2014 with the mixtape Heart of the Projects, and in December 2015 with the mixtape Institution.
In October 2015, Canadian rapper Drake posted a video of himself dancing to one of Kodak Black's songs, "Skrt", which helped him gain popularity despite objections from other rappers such as Earl Sweatshirt. That same month, he signed a deal with Atlantic Records. In May 2016, Kodak Black and rapper and label-mate Lil Uzi Vert announced their intention to partner for a national tour called the "Parental Advisory Tour"; however, Kodak Black did not appear on the tour.
2016–2017: Breakout, Painting Pictures, and Project Baby 2
In May 2016, he was featured on French Montana's single "Lockjaw", from French Montana's 21st mixtape MC4, which reached a peak position of 23 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In August 2016, Kodak Black's single "Skrt" reached number 10 on Billboard's "Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles" chart. In June 2016, he released his fourth mixtape, Lil B.I.G. Pac, which became his first mixtape to chart on Billboard, reaching number 49 on the "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" chart and number 18 on the Heatseakers Albums chart.
In June 2016, Kodak Black was named one of XXL magazine's "2016 Freshman Class".
In August 2016, Kodak Black was criticized when a studio session video was released showing him ridiculing dark-skinned black women with lyrics that implied those women were less attractive than light-skinned black women, which is considered a type of misogynoir—anti-Black hatred towards women.
In 2016, Kodak Black released the song "Can I" while he was in jail.
On February 17, 2017, Kodak Black released the single "Tunnel Vision". The song debuted at number 27 and peaked at number 6, becoming Kodak Black's first top 10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Canadian Hot 100.
On March 31, 2017, Kodak Black released his debut studio album Painting Pictures. The album reached 3 on the Billboard 200 and sold 71,000 equivalent units first week, a record for Kodak Black. He released the follow-up to Project Baby, Project Baby 2, on August 18, 2017. In November 2017, Kodak Black released a deluxe version of Project Baby 2 titled Project Baby 2: All Grown Up. The single from the deluxe version, "Codeine Dreaming", peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2018–2020: Heart Break Kodak, Dying to Live, and Bill Israel
In January 2018, Kodak Black was arrested following a raid on his Florida home. Kodak Black later released the Heart Break Kodak mixtape on Valentine's Day.
On December 14, 2018, Kodak Black released his second album Dying to Live. The album was led by the successful single "Zeze" which featured rappers Travis Scott and Offset, as well as "If I'm Lyin, I'm Flyin", "Take One" and "Calling My Spirit". The album also featured rapper Lil Pump on "Gnarly", rapper Juice WRLD on "MoshPit", and paid tribute to deceased rapper XXXTentacion. "Zeze" peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100, then "Calling My Spirit", also from the album, peaked at number 46. Dying to Live as a whole was on the Billboard 200 chart for 15 weeks, and peaked at number 1 for a week.
On October 25, 2019, Kodak Black released "Zombie" with NLE Choppa and DB Omerta. On February 14, 2020, Kodak Black released "Because of You", followed by a music video for the song. Kodak Black then claimed that if the song was certified platinum by his birthday, then he would release an album. On May 12, 2020, he released the single "Vultures Cry 2", featuring WizDaWizard and Mike Smiff.
On November 11, 2020, Kodak returned with his third album, Bill Israel, while serving a prison sentence.
2020–present: Prison release, Haitian Boy Kodak, Back for Everything and Kutthroat Bill: Vol. 1
On January 23, 2021, he released the single, "Last Day In", in which he addresses his release from prison due to his pardon from President Donald Trump. He released the single, "Every Balmain", on February 6, 2021, in which he discusses life post-prison. On February 19, he was featured on Lil Yachty's single, "Hit Bout It", which was released alongside a music video.
Kodak released a mixtape titled Haitian Boy Kodak on May 14, 2021. The project's cover art pays tribute to his Haitian pride. Kodak voiced frustration at the mixtape only moving 22, 000 units in its first week, claiming that listeners had turned their backs on gangsta rap. Kodak released his next project, Happy Birthday Kodak, on June 11, 2021, his twenty-fourth birthday. On November 1, 2021, Kodak released a music video for the song "Super Gremlin", from Syko Bob and Snapkatt's Halloween-themed mixtape, Sniper Gang Presents Syko Bob & Snapkatt: Nightmare Babies, an 11-track project, of which Kodak appears on eight tracks. "Super Gremlin" became a hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also included on Kodak's fourth studio album Back for Everything, which released on February 25, 2022. The project proceeded to peak at number 2 on the Billboard 200.
Months later, following the release of his viral singles "Walk/Spin", Kodak announced his departure from Atlantic Records and that he would sign to Capitol Records for an eight-figure record deal. Kodak's final project with Atlantic, Kutthroat Bill: Vol. 1 was released on October 28, 2022. The mixtape proceeded to peak at number 8 on the Billboard 200.
Musical style
Kodak Black's music is frequently about "previous and future criminal misdeeds", and he stated that he has been influenced by rappers Boosie Badazz and Chief Keef.
A writer for The New Yorker magazine described his "manifestly youthful voice" and "mutinous sound", and stated "Kapri joins other young rappers who have rejected an old-school emphasis on lyrical variety, individualism, and personal catharsis".
In 2016, The Fader magazine a music critic wrote that he "articulates the constant state of affliction that living in a poverty-stricken environment can mean. He makes emotionally intelligent observations in a manner reminiscent of teenage artists of the '90s, such as Mobb Deep and Lil Wayne, whose voices were valued as genuine illustrations of life in their corners of America."
Kodak Black has been frequently described as a mumble rapper.
Personal life
In 2014, Kodak Black stated that he was working towards his high school diploma at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach.
During his incarceration, Kodak Black began to identify as a Hebrew Israelite after a priest who conducts prison ministry studied scripture with him. He later filed to change his name to Bill Kahan Blanco, with Kahan supposedly being an alternative spelling of kohen, a term used in Judaism to refer to priests who descend from the prophet Aaron, the brother of Moses. On May 2, 2018, he legally changed his name from "Dieuson Octave" to "Bill Kahan Kapri".
In June 2018, Kodak Black earned his GED while in prison.
On February 6, 2021, Kodak returned to social media with a new hairstyle and a slimmer figure. The same day, he posted a video to Twitter where he and his lawyer Bradford Cohen said that they had informed the FBI in Miami that Kodak would cover tuition costs for the two children of late FBI agent Laura Schwartzenberger and the child of late FBI agent Daniel Alfin, both of whom died on duty.
On February 12, 2022, Kodak Black was shot during a fight outside a Los Angeles Italian restaurant where Justin Bieber was hosting a Super Bowl-week party.
Philanthropy
On October 1, 2018, Kodak Black donated $10,000 to the Jack and Jill Children's center, which is a provider of early children's education. In November 2018, Kodak Black announced that he was building a school in Haiti.
On December 20, 2018, Kodak Black donated enough money to Paradise Childcare in Broward County, Florida, to provide gifts for 150 children in the area. In addition, he also donated $5,000 for the organization's annual Christmas party.
In late 2018, he donated $2,500 to South Carolina police officer Terrence Carraway, who was killed in a shootout on duty. On May 3, 2019, Kodak Black donated $12,500 to a girl named Paige Cook, the girl's goal was to give pencils and notebooks to give to all 7,600 students in the Cleburne Independent School District in Texas, a low-income district. In 2018, Paige raised enough money to buy over 40,000 pencils.
In the wake of the 2019 STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting, Kodak Black's lawyer reached out to the family of Kendrick Ray Castillo, who was shot and killed after lunging at the attacker, on May 11, and offered to pay for Castillo's funeral and set aside an annual $10,000 scholarship for any student wishing to go to college for science or engineering. His lawyer stated that the family had not yet responded.
Kodak also allegedly donated $50,000 to Gekyume, the son of late rapper and collaborator XXXTentacion. Kodak and XXXTentacion were friends up until his death in 2018.
Discography
- Painting Pictures (2017)
- Dying to Live (2018)
- Bill Israel (2020)
- Back for Everything (2022)
- Pistolz & Pearlz (2023)
- When I Was Dead (2023)
Tours
Headlining
- Dying to Live Tour (2019)
