The Kid LAROI

Charlton Kenneth-Jeffery Howard (born August 17, 2003), famously known as The Kid Laroi (stylized as The Kid LAROI), is an Australian rapper and singer from South Sydney.

Originally from the Redfern/Waterloo area, The Kid Laroi’s impressive talent quickly made waves in the Australian underground hip-hop scene. His initial demo “Disconnect” was chosen as a Triple J Unearthed High 2018 finalist.

He soon gained the attention of American rappers Lil Skies and Juice WRLD. In early January 2019, Laroi joined Juice WRLD on his Australian tour. Following the tour, it was announced that he would also be the opening act for Denzel Curry’s concert in Sydney. This led to further opportunities, including a significant slot at Rolling Loud 2019 when he was only 16 years old.

Laroi eventually moved to the US, leveraging a strong presence on social media to amass a rapidly growing fanbase. In June 2020, Laroi and his late mentor Juice WRLD released their long-anticipated collaboration titled “GO," which peaked at #52 on the Billboard charts.

Laroi launched his debut studio mixtape, F*CK LOVE, on July 24, 2020. The mixtape featured a young artist exploring different musical genres, blending melodic pop and emo rap, as he expressed themes of love and heartbreak.

In November 2020, Laroi released a deluxe version of this mixtape, titled F*CK LOVE (SAVAGE). The project was highlighted by the hit song “SO DONE” and eventually saw five of its seven tracks reach the Billboard Hot 100.

Throughout this period, Laroi was signed under Lil Bibby's management Grade A Productions and Columbia Records/Sony Music Australia. In June 2021, it was reported that Laroi would be managed by Scooter Braun, famous for overseeing artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, among others.

In July 2021, Laroi released another deluxe edition of his mixtape titled FCK LOVE 3: Over You*. The mixtape included an impressive roster of features such as Justin Bieber, Machine Gun Kelly, and Polo G. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Global 200, making Laroi the youngest artist to claim the top spot since Billie Eilish in 2019.

Laroi’s debut album, THE FIRST TIME, was released on November 10, 2023.

Howard's stage name 'Laroi' is a nod to his Indigenous Australian heritage, specifically the Gamilaraay/Gomeroi/Kamilaroi/Gamilaroi people from northern inland New South Wales. They are among the four largest Indigenous nations in Australia.

The name originates from “gamil”, meaning “no”, and the suffix -(b)araay, which conveys the idea of “having”. It is a common custom among Australian tribes to identify themselves based on their respective words for “no”. Sadly, the spoken language is believed to have died out by the 1950s, although anthropological research is working to reconstruct it.