An MC who broke out of Pompano Beach, Florida when he was just 18 years old, Kodak Black (Dieuson Octave) attracted listeners with a sound that hailed back to the Dirty South of the '90s. In 2013, he introduced his Lil' Boosie-influenced, snarly vocals to the world, but what surprised the audience was his Master P-like music and the heavy, often dark, lyrics, both of which seemed odd coming from a then-16-year-old. Recording demos in the back of a drug house and repeated visits to juvenile court gave weight to his violent lyrics and stories of inner-city life -- two things that fueled his 2014 mixtape Project Baby. The mixtape Heart of the Projects followed in 2015, featuring "SKRT," a hit track that got massive exposure when superstar Drake shared it on the Web and played in on his OVO Sound Radio show. After signing a deal with Atlantic, his third mixtape Institution appeared at the end of the year. In 2016, Kodak Black appeared on French Montana's hit single "Lockjaw" before releasing fourth mixtape Lil B.I.G. Pac.
David Jeffries
AllMusic.com
