Kodak Black facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kodak Black
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Kodak Black in 2023
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| Background information | |
| 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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Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave on June 11, 1997), who is known by his stage name Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He first became popular in 2014 with his songs "No Flockin" and "Skrt". These songs helped him get a record deal with Atlantic Records. "No Flockin" became a big hit and entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
His 2017 single, "Tunnel Vision", was very successful, reaching number six on the charts. It was part of his first studio album, Painting Pictures (2017), which climbed to number three on the Billboard 200 album chart. Later that year, he released a mixtape called Project Baby 2, which was also a big success.
His second album, Dying to Live (2018), became his most successful album, reaching number one on the Billboard 200. It included the hit song "Zeze", which featured Travis Scott and Offset. "Zeze" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and is his highest-charting song to date.
Kodak Black's career has had many high points with popular music, but he has also faced personal challenges. In 2021, his prison sentence was shortened by President Donald Trump. While he was away, he released his third album, Bill Israel (2020). After his release, his song "Super Gremlin" became a huge hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100. He has continued to release more albums, including Back for Everything (2022), Pistolz & Pearlz (2023), and When I Was Dead (2023).
Contents
Early Life
Kodak Black was born Dieuson Octave on June 11, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida. His mother, Marcelene Octave, was an immigrant from Haiti. He was raised by his mother in a public housing project in Pompano Beach. He later legally changed his name to Bill Kahan Kapri.
Kodak Black started rapping when he was in elementary school. He would go to a local house after school to record his music. To improve his lyrics, he spent a lot of time reading thesauruses and dictionaries to learn new words. Growing up, he said he had two choices: get into trouble or become a rapper.
He started using the nickname "Black" when he was six years old. When he joined Instagram, he chose the username "Kodak Black" because he liked how the word "Kodak" is related to pictures. This became his stage name when he started his music career.
Music Career
2009–2015: How It All Started
When he was 12 years old, Kodak Black joined a rap group called Brutal Youngnz, using the name J-Black. Later, he joined another local group called The Kolyons. He started releasing his own music projects, called mixtapes. In 2013, he released Project Baby, followed by Heart of the Projects in 2014 and Institution in 2015.
His popularity grew in October 2015 when the famous Canadian rapper Drake shared a video of himself dancing to Kodak's song "Skrt". This helped many more people discover his music. That same month, he signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
2016–2017: Becoming a Star
In 2016, Kodak Black was featured on the single "Lockjaw" by French Montana. The song became very popular on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop charts. In June 2016, he released his fourth mixtape, Lil B.I.G. Pac. It was his first mixtape to appear on the Billboard charts. That same year, XXL magazine named him as one of the top new rappers in its "2016 Freshman Class" list.
On February 17, 2017, Kodak Black released the single "Tunnel Vision". The song was a massive hit, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his first song to make it into the top 10.
On March 31, 2017, he released his first studio album, Painting Pictures. The album was a big success, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. Later that year, he released Project Baby 2, which was also very popular. A song from the deluxe version of that album, "Codeine Dreaming", also made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2018–2020: More Hit Albums
On Valentine's Day in 2018, Kodak Black released a mixtape called Heart Break Kodak.
On December 14, 2018, he released his second album, Dying to Live. The album featured the hit single "Zeze" with rappers Travis Scott and Offset. The album also had guest appearances from Lil Pump and Juice WRLD. "Zeze" was a huge success, reaching number 2 on the Hot 100 chart. The album Dying to Live went to number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
On November 11, 2020, Kodak released his third album, Bill Israel, while he was serving a prison sentence.
2021–Present: New Music and Success
After President Donald Trump shortened his prison sentence, Kodak Black was released in January 2021. He quickly got back to making music. He released the single "Last Day In" to talk about his release. He was also featured on Lil Yachty's song "Hit Bout It".
In May 2021, he released a mixtape called Haitian Boy Kodak, which celebrated his Haitian heritage. On his 24th birthday, June 11, 2021, he released another project called Happy Birthday Kodak.
In late 2021, his song "Super Gremlin" became a viral hit. It climbed all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on his fourth album, Back for Everything, which was released in 2022 and reached number 2 on the Billboard 200.
Later, Kodak Black announced he was leaving Atlantic Records and signing a new deal with Capitol Records. He released the project Kutthroat Bill: Vol. 1 in October 2022. He also worked with Kendrick Lamar on the song "Silent Hill" from Lamar's album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.
Musical Style
Kodak Black's music often tells stories about his life and experiences. He has said that he was inspired by rappers like Boosie Badazz and Chief Keef.
Music writers have described his voice as "youthful" and his sound as rebellious. One writer for The Fader magazine said that Kodak Black is good at expressing the feelings of growing up in a difficult environment. His music has been compared to teenage artists from the 1990s, like Mobb Deep and Lil Wayne, who were known for their honest stories about life in their communities. He is often described as a mumble rapper.
Personal Life
In 2014, Kodak Black announced that he was studying to get his high school diploma. In June 2018, he earned his GED while he was in prison.
While he was away, Kodak Black began to identify as a Hebrew Israelite. In 2018, he legally changed his name from Dieuson Octave to Bill Kahan Kapri.
In 2021, he returned to social media with a new look. He and his lawyer announced that they had told the FBI that Kodak would pay for the college education for the children of two FBI agents who had died while on duty.
In 2024, Kapri supported the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign and released a song with rapper Fivio Foreign for the campaign.
Charity Work
Kodak Black has been involved in many acts of charity.
- In October 2018, he donated $10,000 to a children's center that provides early education.
- In November 2018, he announced he was building a school in Haiti.
- In December 2018, he gave money to a childcare center in Florida to buy gifts for 150 children. He also gave $5,000 for their annual Christmas party.
- He donated $2,500 to the family of a police officer in South Carolina who was killed on duty.
- In 2019, he donated $12,500 to a young girl in Texas who was raising money to buy notebooks and pencils for every student in her school district.
- After a school shooting in Colorado in 2019, his lawyer offered to pay for the funeral of a student who died protecting others. He also offered to set up a $10,000 scholarship in the student's name.
- He also reportedly donated $50,000 to the son of his friend and fellow rapper XXXTentacion, who passed away in 2018.
Discography
- Painting Pictures (2017)
- Dying to Live (2018)
- Bill Israel (2020)
- Back for Everything (2022)
- Kutthroat Bill: Vol. 1 ( 2022)
- Pistolz & Pearlz (2023)
- When I Was Dead (2023)
Tours
Headlining
- Dying to Live Tour (2019)
