The 19-year-old Florida rapper earns first top 10 single on Billboard Hot 100 chart with 'Tunnel Vision', which has been played over 13 million times on SoundCloud since its release in mid-February.
- Mar 13, 2017
AceShowbiz - Having an unorthodox rapping style and high-pitched vocals, Kodak Black has evolved into one of the most demanding hip-hop musicians. Born Dieuson Octave, the Florida rapper began using "Black" and "Lil' Black" for his nickname at the age of six.
Starting his rapping career at the age of 11 or 12, Kodak joined a rap group called Brutal Yungenz in Pompano Beach, Florida. Though he was the youngest in the group, he proved that his unique vocals had helped him to stand out on some tracks like "What U Talking About" and "Walk With Me".
Kodak began putting his music on YouTube when the group stopped functioning as a unit. He shared some freestyles over songs by the likes of Mac Miller, 2 Chainz, Wale and more. His first mixtape, "Project Baby", was released in December 2013. The set features 18 songs in total, with some tracks being produced by K.E. On the Track, Rooq and DJ Jay-R among others.
Kodak started garnering lots of attention from fellow hip-hop musicians after releasing his third mixtape, "Institution", in 2015. The mixtape also helped him solidify his fan base outside his home town of Pompano Beach. Despite gaining much attention, Kodak was slammed by a series of legal issues. In October 2015, he was charged with robbery, battery, false imprisonment of a child and possession of cannabis in his home town.
The 19-year-old spitter released the follow-up to "Institution" on June 11, 2016. Titled "Lil B.I.G. Pac", the set became Kodak's first record to chart on Billboard as it reached No. 49 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 18 on the Heatseakers Albums chart. Laced with 13 tracks in total, the mixtape boasts guest appearances from PnB Rock and Gucci Mane.
While he's still dealing with his legal troubles, Kodak released a new single titled "Tunnel Vision" in mid-February 2017. Produced by Metro Boomin and Southside, the track has been played over 13 million times on SoundCloud since its release. "Tunnel Vision" also marks Kodak's first top 10 song on Billboard Hot 100 as it climbs to No. 8 on the chart.
