Kodak Black Bio
Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Pompano Beach, Florida. He first drew widespread attention with the 2014 singles “No Flockin” and “Skrt,” both of which helped him land a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Over the following years, he built a chart-topping catalog that includes the studio albums Painting Pictures (2017), Dying to Live (2018), Bill Israel (2020), and Back for Everything (2022). His music blends Southern hip-hop, trap, and mumble rap, and his career has been marked by major commercial achievements alongside widely publicized legal controversies.
Early Life and Background
Kodak Black was born Dieuson Octave on June 11, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida, the son of Haitian immigrant Marcelene Octave. He was raised by his mother in Golden Acres, a public housing project in Pompano Beach, and later legally changed his name to Bill Kahan Kapri. From the age of six, he went by the nickname “Black,” and he also used “Lil’ Black” before adopting “Kodak Black” as his stage name when he began rapping.
He started rapping in elementary school and began spending time at a local trap house after school to record music, sharpening his vocabulary by reading thesauruses and dictionaries. As a youth, he was frequently involved in brawls and breaking and entering with his friends, and he was expelled from school in the fifth grade for fighting. He was also 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.”
Path to Rap
In 2009, at age 12, Kodak Black joined a rap group called Brutal Youngnz under the stage name J-Black, and he later worked with another local group called The Kolyons. In December 2013, he released his first mixtape, Project Baby, followed in December 2014 with Heart of the Projects and in December 2015 with Institution. He attended Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, where he worked toward his high school diploma before later earning a GED in June 2018 while in prison.
His early career accelerated in October 2015, when Canadian rapper Drake posted a video of himself dancing to Kodak’s song “Skrt,” which helped broaden his audience. That same month, Kodak signed a deal with Atlantic Records. In 2016, he was named to XXL magazine’s “2016 Freshman Class,” and his June 2016 mixtape Lil B.I.G. Pac became his first project to chart on Billboard, reaching number 49 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Kodak Black Career
Early Career (2009–2015)
Kodak Black’s earliest recordings came through a series of self-released mixtapes beginning with Project Baby in December 2013. He followed up with Heart of the Projects in December 2014 and Institution in December 2015, gradually building a regional following in South Florida. The breakthrough moment for that period came in October 2015, when Drake’s viral video dancing to “Skrt” lifted Kodak’s profile nationally and led directly to his signing with Atlantic Records.
Breakthrough (2016–2017)
Kodak Black’s commercial breakthrough came in 2017 with the release of his single “Tunnel Vision,” which debuted at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 6, becoming his first top 10 hit. He released his debut studio album Painting Pictures on March 31, 2017; it reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 and sold 71,000 equivalent units in its first week. He also released Project Baby 2 on August 18, 2017, which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the triple platinum-certified single “Roll in Peace” featuring XXXTentacion.
Earlier in this period, he was featured on French Montana’s single “Lockjaw” in May 2016, which reached number 23 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His June 2016 mixtape Lil B.I.G. Pac was his first project to chart on Billboard, and he was also named to XXL’s 2016 Freshman Class. He was also nominated for Best New Artist and Best New Hip-Hop Artist at the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, while his 2014 track “No Flockin” received double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a sleeper hit.
Notable Works and Milestones
His signature early work, “No Flockin” (2014), received double platinum certification by the RIAA, while “Skrt” (2014) earned platinum certification. He released his second studio album Dying to Live on December 14, 2018; it peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and was led by the single “Zeze” featuring Travis Scott and Offset, which peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100 and received sextuple platinum certification from the RIAA. His 2021 single “Super Gremlin” peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later included on his fourth studio album Back for Everything (2022), which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200.
Kodak Black Award Nominations
Kodak Black has earned a range of nominations across hip-hop awards since his 2016 breakthrough, when he was named to XXL magazine’s “2016 Freshman Class” and recognized as a Best New Artist and Best New Hip-Hop Artist nominee at the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards. He has continued to receive nominations from outlets such as Billboard, BET, and iHeartRadio over the following years, including nods for his singles “Tunnel Vision,” “Zeze,” and “Super Gremlin,” as well as recognition for his albums Painting Pictures, Dying to Live, and Back for Everything.
Kodak Black Awards Won
Kodak Black’s commercial success has been confirmed by industry certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, including double platinum certification for “No Flockin,” platinum certification for “Skrt,” triple platinum certification for “Roll in Peace” featuring XXXTentacion, and sextuple platinum certification for “Zeze” featuring Travis Scott and Offset. He has also received multiple Billboard chart milestones and industry honors tied to his streaming and sales performance.
Kodak Black Family
Kodak Black was raised by his mother, Marcelene Octave, a Haitian immigrant, in the Golden Acres public housing project in Pompano Beach, Florida. He was born Dieuson Octave and later legally changed his name to Bill Kahan Kapri on May 2, 2018. Public details about his siblings, extended family, or other relatives are not clearly supported by available sources.
Personal Life
During his incarceration, Kodak Black began to identify as a Hebrew Israelite after a prison ministry priest studied scripture with him, and he later filed to change his name to Bill Kahan Blanco, with “Kahan” reportedly being an alternative spelling of “kohen,” a Hebrew term for priests descended from the prophet Aaron. In June 2017, he drew public criticism for Instagram comments about his dating preferences, which prompted him to delete his Instagram and Twitter accounts at the time. He earned his GED in June 2018 while in prison, and on February 12, 2022, he was shot during a fight outside a Los Angeles Italian restaurant where Justin Bieber was hosting a Super Bowl-week party. He endorsed the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign, releasing the single “ONBOA47RD” with New York rapper Fivio Foreign in support of Trump.