Kota the Friend facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kota The Friend
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Avery Marcel Joshua Jones |
| Born | October 16, 1992 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | FLTBYS |
Kota The Friend is a cool American rapper, singer, and songwriter. His real name is Avery Marcel Joshua Jones, and he was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 16, 1992. He picked his stage name, Kota, from the Disney movie Brother Bear. It's a Native American word that means "friend"!
Kota started releasing his own music in 2016. He has put out many mixtapes and studio albums. Some of his popular works include FOTO, EVERYTHING, and the Lyrics to GO series. He is known for making his music independently, which means he does a lot of the work himself.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Avery Jones was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on October 16, 1992. He grew up in a neighborhood called Clinton Hill. From a young age, he loved music.
When he was 8 years old, Avery learned to play the trumpet. He really wanted to play the saxophone, but there weren't enough at his school. Later, he also learned to play the keyboard, guitar, and bass.
He went to the Brooklyn High School of the Arts. Then he studied trumpet at Five Towns College. While in college, he formed a rap group called Nappy Hair. They even released two mixtapes!
Avery spent a lot of time working weekend jobs. He saved money to build his own music studio at home. He remembers rapping into his laptop in the bathroom when he was a teenager. This helped him decide to make music his career.
Music Career
Kota The Friend has always chosen to be an independent artist. This means he doesn't sign with big record labels. He actually turned down three major labels! Instead, he created his own music label and clothing brand called FLTBYS.
He believes in a "do-it-yourself" approach. He often films his own music videos. He records his songs in his home studio. He also produces most of his own music. He does this because he wants to have freedom with his music. He doesn't want to feel limited by others.
In 2019, Kota released his first independent studio album, FOTO. This album featured other artists like Saba. Fans loved its calm and jazzy beats. Rolling Stone magazine even called FOTO one of the best hip-hop albums of 2019. After this, Kota went on his first big tour, called the FOTO Tour.
His second studio album, EVERYTHING, came out in 2020. This album was very popular. It reached number 162 on the Billboard 200 chart. The Billboard 200 is a list of the most popular albums in the U.S. Fans really enjoyed this album.
Kota has also released a series of compilation albums called Lyrics to GO. These include Vol. 1 (2020), Vol. 2 (2021), Vol. 3 (2022), Vol. 4 (2023), and Vol. 5 (2024). He also worked with producer Statik Selektah on two albums: To Kill A Sunrise (2021) and To See A Sunset (2023). His third studio album, MEMO, was released in 2022. In 2023, he released his fourth studio album, Protea.
Business Ventures
Kota The Friend owns a brand called FLTBYS. It stands for "Flight Boys." This brand is about skate culture, music, and travel. Kota started FLTBYS when he was in 11th grade in Brooklyn. He has been making clothes since he was young.
In 2020, he bought a building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His FLTBYS retail store is on the first floor of that building.
Music in Movies
Kota's songs have been used in movies!
- His song "Scapegoat" was played during the end credits of the 2022 Amazon Prime movie Emergency.
- His song "Pomegranate" was used in the 2023 Netflix movie You People. That movie starred famous actors like Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill.
Personal Life
Kota The Friend has shared some of his musical inspirations. He looks up to artists like Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles.
Kota has one son. He also sometimes practices veganism. This means he eats only plant-based foods. He does this to feel healthy and clear his mind.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
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| US | |||
| Billboard 200 | Album Sales | ||
| Anything. |
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| FOTO |
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| Lyrics to Go Vol.1 |
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| EVERYTHING |
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162 | 31 |
| Lyrics to Go Vol.2 |
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— | — |
| To Kill a Sunrise (with Statik Selektah) |
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— | — |
| Lyrics to Go Vol.3 |
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— | — |
| MEMO |
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— | — |
| Lyrics to Go Vol.4 |
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— | — |
| To See a Sunset (with Statik Selektah) |
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— | — |
| Protea |
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— | — |
| Lyrics to Go Vol.5 |
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— | — |
| Once In A Blue Moon |
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— | — |
See also
In Spanish: Kota the Friend para niños
