Kodak Black

Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper.

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 and began to go to a local trap house after school to record music.

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.

About his upbringing, he said that he was given two options: "sell drugs with a gun on his hip or rap".

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.

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.

His legal troubles began in middle school and spiked crucially throughout the late 2010s.

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.

He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 song "No Flockin".

Its success led him to sign with Atlantic Records; it was re-released commercially as his debut single the following year, and subsequently "No Flockin" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 two years later.

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.

Black was accused of rape in 2016 and faced the charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in South Carolina.

He was given a plea bargain in 2021 to the lesser offense of assault and battery and was sentenced to probation.

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.

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.

His 2017 follow-up single, "Tunnel Vision" reached further success at number six on the chart and preceded the release of his debut studio album Painting Pictures (2017), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.

His first commercial mixtape (and fifth overall), Project Baby 2 was released that same year and peaked at number two on the chart, also spawning the triple platinum-certified single "Roll In Peace" (featuring XXXTentacion).

On February 17, 2017, Kodak Black released the single "Tunnel Vision".

His second album, Dying to Live (2018) saw his furthest commercial success and peaked atop the Billboard 200.

Its single, "Zeze" (featuring Travis Scott and Offset) reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, received sextuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and remains his highest-charting song.

Kodak Black's career has been marked by periods of mainstream success, as well as public controversies and legal issues.

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 album Bill Israel (2020), which saw less promotion and commercial orientation.

His fourth album, Back for Everything (2022) marked his commercial 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.