The Kid Laroi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Kid Laroi
The Kid Laroi in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard
Born	(2003-08-17) 17 August 2003 (age 21) Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Hip hop R&B emo pop alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2016–present
Labels	Grade A Columbia

Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard (born on August 17, 2003), known as the Kid Laroi, is an Australian rapper and singer. He was first noticed by Triple J Unearthed in 2016 when he was 13 years old. As more people started listening to his music, he signed with Lil Bibby's Grade A Productions and Columbia Records.

He became very famous in 2021 with his song "Stay" with Justin Bieber. This song reached number one on music charts in many countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United States. His first mixtape also topped the charts in Australia and the US. This made him the youngest Australian solo artist to achieve this.

His popular song "Without You" was remixed with American singer Miley Cyrus. This version reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His first studio album, The First Time (2023), included the songs "Love Again" and "Too Much" (with Jungkook and Central Cee). Howard says he doesn't stick to one type of music. He enjoys making both hip hop and pop songs.

Early Life and Background

Charlton Howard was born on August 17, 2003, in Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia. He has a younger brother named Austin. His father, Nick Howard, is a music producer. His mother, Sloane Howard, worked in the music industry. She is of Aboriginal and European descent.

Howard's artistic name "Laroi" comes from his family background. His great-great-grandfather was part of the Stolen Generations. This means he is a Gamilaraay (or Kamilaroi) man. The Stolen Generations refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were taken from their families by Australian governments.

When Howard was four, his parents separated. His childhood became more challenging. At age seven, he moved to Broken Hill with his mother, brother, and grandparents. He attended a private school there. Later, he went to another private school in Adelaide. He left after being bullied and because his mother could not afford it. They moved back to Sydney in 2017.

In Sydney, Howard attended the Australian Performing Arts Grammar School on a scholarship. However, he left school in year nine to focus on his music career. During this time, his family lived in public housing. He often stayed at friends' houses. In an interview, he shared that his mother is his best friend. He wanted to help her with their financial difficulties. He even worked part-time at a fruit store.

Howard worked hard to get noticed by artists outside Australia. He would wait outside hotels for famous musicians. He tried to play his music for them. This helped him meet and later work with artists like Swae Lee.

Music Career Journey

Starting Out

Howard began by recording raps on his mother's phone. He uploaded these songs to SoundCloud. His first rap name was "FC6." In 2015, he formed a duo called "Dream$Team" with rapper DJ Marcus Jr. DJ Marcus Jr. became his mentor. They recorded songs and performed for local audiences.

Howard met producer Khaled Rohaim at a recording studio. Rohaim was impressed by Howard's talent. He would pick Howard up from different places so they could record music. Rohaim also gave Howard work writing songs for other artists. This led to Howard meeting and recording a song with A Boogie.

In 2017, Howard signed a development deal with Sony Music Australia.

First Steps to Fame

On August 16, 2018, Howard released his first EP, 14 with a Dream. He worked with artists like Manu Crooks on this project. That same month, he became a finalist in the Triple J Unearthed high competition. This helped him gain more attention.

In March 2019, Howard partnered with American rapper Lil Bibby's record label, Grade A Productions, and Columbia Records. He was mentored by the late rapper Juice Wrld. Howard supported Juice Wrld on his Australian tours in 2018 and 2019. He even lived with Juice Wrld in Los Angeles to learn about making music. Howard also performed at big music festivals like Rolling Loud. In December, his music video for "Let Her Go" was shared on the Lyrical Lemonade YouTube channel. This brought him international attention.

Mainstream Success

In 2020, Howard released "Diva" featuring Lil Tecca. He also released "Addison Rae" and "Fade Away" with Lil Tjay. He was featured on songs like "Go Dumb" and "Costa Rica" (remix). On June 12, he released "Go" featuring Juice Wrld. On July 18, he released "Tell Me Why," a song dedicated to Juice Wrld.

His mixtape F*ck Love was released on July 24, 2020. It featured artists like Lil Mosey and Juice Wrld. A deluxe version, Savage, was released on November 6. It reached number one in Australia and number three in the US. On December 17, the music video for "Without You" was released.

On March 19, 2021, Howard was featured on Justin Bieber's song "Unstable." On April 30, he released a remix of "Without You" with Miley Cyrus. This song became very popular on TikTok and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Howard and Miley Cyrus performed the song on Saturday Night Live.

In June 2021, Howard signed a management deal with Scooter Braun. On July 9, he released "Stay" with Justin Bieber. This song became his highest-charting single in the United States, reaching number one. A second deluxe version of F*ck Love, called F*ck Love 3: Over You, was released on July 23. This helped the F*ck Love project reach number one on the Billboard 200. Howard and Bieber performed "Stay" at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. In September 2021, Howard signed with Adam Leber at Rebel Management. In November 2021, he won Best Artist and Best Pop Release at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards.

Tours and New Music

On January 13, 2022, Howard hinted at a new album. On January 22, "Stay" was voted second in Triple J's 2021 Hottest 100. This made him the highest-ranking Indigenous artist in the event's history. On April 22, he released "Thousand Miles" with a music video. In May 2022, Howard returned to Scooter Braun for management. He also returned to Sydney, Australia, for his first headlining tour, the End of the World Tour.

On July 8, Howard and Fivio Foreign released "Paris to Tokyo" with a music video. In December, he performed at iHeartRadio's 2022 Jingle Ball.

Recent Projects

On January 12, 2023, Howard shared a trailer for his first studio album, The First Time. The album includes songs like "Love Again" and "Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1)." On January 27, Howard hosted a Fortnite concert called "Wildest Dreams." In February, he announced his second tour, Bleed for You, to support his new album. On February 27, 2023, Howard released "I Guess It's Love?" with a music video featuring his girlfriend.

In March 2023, Howard was cast in the film Y2K. In April 2023, he performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. He also recorded "Forever & Again" for the soundtrack of the 2023 film Barbie.

In October 2023, Howard released "Too Much" with South Korean singer Jungkook and British rapper Central Cee. The First Time album was released the following month. It did well in Australia and moderately worldwide. The album featured artists like YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Future.

In February 2024, Howard announced a documentary about himself called Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named Laroi. The film talks about his challenges in music and honors his mentor Juice Wrld. It also shows his personal life, including his improved relationship with his father. The film was released on February 29, 2024. In June 2024, he released the single "Girls".

In November 2024, Howard took his The First Time tour to Australia. He paid tribute to Juice Wrld during his concert in Brisbane. He will also perform in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, and Melbourne.

Other Activities

In May 2022, Howard worked with McDonald's in Australia. He launched his own McDonald's meal. It included chicken nuggets, fries, a cheeseburger, barbecue sauce, and a frozen Coca-Cola. That same month, Howard donated $100,000 to a youth service in Waterloo, Sydney. This was a place he attended when he was younger.

Personal Life

As of 2020, Howard lives in Los Angeles with his mother and younger brother. He sees himself as an ambassador for Australia. He wants to help put Australia on the music map, similar to how Drake helped Toronto.

Howard supports the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club. This team is based in Redfern, where he spent part of his childhood.

Howard dated TikTok influencer Katarina Deme from 2020 to 2023. He has said that their breakup inspired some songs on his album The First Time. In April 2024, at a concert in Dublin, Ireland, Howard confirmed his relationship with Canadian singer Tate McRae.

Discography

Studio albums

• The First Time (2023)

Filmography

Film

Video game

Tours

Headlining

• The End of the World Tour (2022)
• Bleed For You College Tour (2023) (US only)
• The First Time World Tour (2024)

See also

In Spanish: The Kid Laroi para niños