Kodak Black

Bill Kahan Kapri, originally named Dieuson Octave, was born on June 11, 1997, and is better known as Kodak Black, a rapper from Pompano Beach, Florida. Starting his rap career at the age of 12, Kodak began to gain popularity after Drake shared an Instagram video of himself dancing to Kodak's track “SKRT.”

In an interview with Passion of the Weiss, Kodak described how his stage name came about from his nickname “Lil' Black.” When joining Instagram, he selected “Kodak Black” as his username because “Kodak” relates to pictures, a moniker that later became his stage name when he started rapping and gained favor with his fans.

Between 2013 and 2015, Kodak began his rap career by releasing two mixtapes. On December 26, 2013, he unveiled his debut mixtape, Project Baby, which gained popularity with the track “Signs.” Nearly a year after, he dropped his second mixtape, Heart of the Projects, which featured one of his notable songs, “No Flockin.”

In October 2015, Kodak was arrested on charges including robbery, battery, false imprisonment of a child, and possession of cannabis but was later released. He then turned his arrest experiences into material for his jail-themed mixtape, Institution.

The period from 2016 to 2017 was marked by both success and legal troubles for Kodak, releasing five projects. In April 2016, he was arrested in Hallandale Beach, Florida, facing charges such as possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana. In June 2016, he released Lil B.I.G. Pac, featuring artists like Gucci Mane and peaking at #134 on the Billboard 200, but endured two more arrests in Florida thereafter.

In 2017, Kodak released two mixtapes and his debut album, Painting Pictures, which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200. Despite its success, 2017 was filled with legal challenges. He was arrested for probation violations in February 2017 and faced indictment and a trial set for 2019. In May 2017, he was again arrested for house arrest violations and was sentenced to a year in Broward County Jail. After an early release on June 5, 2017, he was ordered to continue on house arrest for one year, in addition to five years of probation.

Kodak faced more charges in January 2018 and subsequently released his Valentine's Day mixtape, Heart Break Kodak, peaking at #25 on the Billboard 200. His January charges were dismissed just over a week later. In April 2018, Kodak pleaded not guilty to several charges and was sentenced to a year with credit for time served, being released in August 2018.

Upon release, Kodak's song “ZEZE,” featuring Offset and Travis Scott, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his highest-charting single. The track was part of his December 2018 album, Dying to Live, which peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200.

November 2019 brought severe legal troubles for Kodak, resulting in a four-year prison sentence for lying on background paperwork while trying to purchase firearms, significantly impacting his career. Despite incarceration, his third studio album, Bill Israel, featured collaborations with renowned artists like Gucci Mane, Tory Lanez, and Lil Yachty, though it only peaked at #42 on the Billboard 200.

In January 2021, Kodak Black received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump on Trump's final day in office while serving a 46-month sentence. To celebrate his release, Kodak dropped a single titled “Last Day In.”

Before his release, Kodak unveiled three projects, including a YouTube-exclusive set of older tracks, with the most notable being his mixtape, Haitian Boy Kodak. Despite modest attention post-release, Kodak frequently appeared in news articles due to publicized tensions with his longtime friend, Jackboy. His music regained a significant following with the release of “Super Gremlin” from his label mixtape, Sniper Gang Presents: Nightmare Babies.

In January 2022, Kodak faced an arrest for trespassing, but charges were dropped while his career benefitted from viral moments.

Kodak's fourth studio album, Back For Everything, released on February 25, 2022, included viral songs like “Super Gremlin” and “Love & War.”

Kodak also appeared on Kendrick Lamar's acclaimed Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album, contributing to another top ten hit with “Silent Hill.” Subsequently, he released his ninth mixtape, Kutthroat Bill: Vol. 1.Pistolz & Pearlz, Kodak's final project with Atlantic Records, was released in May 2023 before his transition to Capitol Records.