15 Things You Need to Know About Kodak Black

We list some interesting things you need to know about Kodak Black. He’s an American rapper whose music has taken him out of poverty to become one of the most successful artists in the music industry. However, the rapper’s career has been marked by periods of mainstream success, as well as public controversies and legal issues.

1. He changed his real name from Dieuson Octave to Bill Kahan Kapri

Kodak Black changed his legal name while behind bars because he wanted a “fresh start” on life. This happened after Kodak was arrested in January, 2018, after authorities stormed his Florida home. The raid, which went down during Kodak’s Instagram live broadcast, resulted in various charges against the rapper, including grand theft of a firearm, child neglect, possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of a weapon by a felon. Those counts were later dismissed throughout multiple court hearings, and, the child services investigation against Kodak had also been dropped. This is not the first time he tried to change his legal name. After doing time for a house-arrest violation in 2017, he attempted to change his name to Bill Kahan Blanco.

2. Kodak Black is of Haitian ethnicity

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. Haiti, like most Caribbean nations, was heavily populated by Africans who were forcibly and violently shipped to the island as enslaved people. Nearly all of Haiti’s population are of African origin (termed blacks). A small minority of people of mixed European and African descent (called mulattoes) constitute a wealthier elite and account for most of the remainder. There is also a small number of people of European descent.

3. He started rapping as a kid to avoid selling drugs

Kodak Black started rapping in elementary school and began to go to a local trap house after school to record music. A trap house is basically a drug dealer’s place of making or selling drugs. But Kodak used the opportunity to focus on his passion and used the world around him to write lyrics and make songs. He took a situation that was negative and turned it into a positive.

4. His stage name was influenced by a famous company known for it’s Kodak cameras

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 a name favored by his fans. Kodak (the company) was at the top of its game when it came to film and photography, but years later they experienced such a decline that they were forced into bankruptcy. This was a result of the digital camera becoming popular during the 90s and 2000s.

5. Kodak started gaining recognition when his song “Skrt” went viral

“Skrt” was eleased in December 2014 and is the third single from his mixtape Heart of the Projects (2014). It was produced by SkipOnDaBeat. In October 2015, the song helped Kodak Black gain recognition, when a video of Canadian rapper Drake dancing to it went viral.

6. Kodak was friends with XXXTentacion up until his death in 2018

Kodak Black was friends with XXXTentacion before his passing. He also went on Instagram with a post sharing the final conversation he had with X.

“Just please, please be cautious. It be the animal in us that drives us to do the things that bear us consequences,” says X to Kodak in the phone call. “That ego sh*t,” added Kodak. “But you know what, n*ggas really getting heartless cus sometimes I would show love than we get back a lot of times.”

“Cus we the ones with all the love. We are the one’s with the love fam. You know when you f*cked up really, the love is when you stared giving n*ggas money. When you start giving n*ggas money that’s when they f*ck up the relationship and I noticed that. It could be small shit, like a n*gga hungry, pull up to my crib and come eat,” said X as Kodak laughed.

The SoundCloud rap legend lost his life after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in Florida, being pronounced dead shortly thereafter. In paying tribute to XXXTentacion, Kodak Black made a song titled “Falling Over,” a KasimGotJuice-produced effort that sees the Floridian star pay homage to his lost peer, while also inquiring about other evils within the world.

7. His style of music was greatly influenced by Boosie Badazz

If you listen to Kodaks early early music you can tell he was heavily influenced by Boosie. Boosie Badazz, formerly Lil Boosie, made a name for himself when he teamed up with Baton Rouge rapper C-Loc in the late 1990s and made his debut on C-Loc’s 5th album, It’s a Gamble, which also featured Three Six Mafia, South Park Mexican, and the rest of the Concentration Camp. Boosie’s full-length CD Youngest of the Camp, sold over 10,000 units. The project spread like wildfire, and every hood in Baton Rouge had flyers up for it, everybody was playing it.

8. He’s had beef with his longtime friend Jackboy

Kodak and Jackboy have shared a strong connection for a long time even before the fame. Kodak also signed Jackboy to his Sniper Gang label and were on good terms for a while. However, their relationship seemed to be on the rocks after the two made cryptic social media posts. Later on, they went on to make diss songs with Kodak releasing “Super Gremlin” and Jackboy releasing “Don’t Force My Hand“. These two songs became their biggest hits since their beef started.

9. Kodak became famous for his song “No Flockin”, released in 2014

Kodak’s name rose to prominence in the same fashion many newcomers seem to get noticed these days: Drake. “No Flockin” broke out in 2014 in part thanks to a cosign from Drake, who played the song on an early episode of OVO Sound Radio. On the track, Kodak mocks users of flakka, a synthetic hallucinogenic drug that gained attention due to a series of high-profile news stories in Florida in 2014 and 2015. Kodak’s flow on the song was also sampled/ interpolated in “Bodak Yellow” by American rapper Cardi B, which was released in June 2017. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks, making Cardi B the second female rapper to reach number one with a solo song.

10. He was released from prison by former U.S. president Donald Trump

Kodak Black was in federal prison after pleading guilty to a firearms possession charge after being detained at the Canadian-American border in March 2020. At that time, the Florida rapper was serving a nearly four-year jail sentence for making false statements to purchase a firearm. Later on, he took to Twitter to thank Trump for commuting his 46-month sentence.

11. Kodak’s hit single “Tunnel Vision” became his first top 10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100

“Tunnel Vision” is the second single from Kodak’s debut studio album, Painting Pictures (2017). The song paints a portrait of an MC striving for success despite all the hardships. Over the Metro Boomin beat, he alludes to struggles with the law and the love of his mother, who urges him to “make good decisions.” Kodak Black then released of his politically-charged music video for “Tunnel Vision.” The Michael Garcia-directed visuals start with a white man wearing a red hat that reads “Make America Hate Again.” Over on the Billboard Hot 100, the Florida rapper’s hit single peaked at No. 6, marking his highest placement on the chart to date.

12. Kodak Black earned his GED while in prison

After legally changing his name from Dieuson Octave to Bill K. Kapri, the Florida native passed his GED test—earning a high school diploma – equivalent credentials. During this time, Kodak was sentenced to serve one year in jail after he was charged with a number of felony cases. His Florida home was raided by police during an Instagram Live broadcast. He was charged with grand theft of a firearm, child neglect, possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of a weapon by a felon. Those charges were eventually dropped after multiple court hearings, but he remains in jail until at least mid-September due to probation violations.

13. Kodak’s second album, Dying to Live, became his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200

Kodak Black‘s sophmore effort, Dying to Live, did record numbers following its 2018 release. Billboard reported that the album landed atop the Billboard 200 on the strength of 82,000 streaming equivalent album units. It became Kodak’s first number-one album on the chart. HipHopDX said of the album, “Dying to Live” is an imperfect window into a troubled soul. At times, it’s unclear whether Kodak is being honest or disingenuously begging for sympathy. Even if it’s carefully executed and shows artistic growth, the album’s mature subject matter is overshadowed by Kodak’s alleged history.”

14. Kodak Black was named one of XXL magazine’s “2016 Freshman Class”

In June 2016, Kodak Black was named one of XXL magazine’s “2016 Freshman Class”. The 2016 XXL Freshman Class includes Kodak, 21 Savage, Denzel Curry, G Herbo, Lil Yachty, Anderson .Paak, Dave East, Lil Dicky, Desiigner and Lil Uzi Vert. While discussing rappers and fellow 2016 XXL Freshmen, Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty, Kodak Black also created controversy when he insulted them whilst conducting a livestream on Instagram.

15. He collaborated with French Montana on the popular hit single “Lockjaw”

“Lockjaw” is a song by French Montana featuring fellow rapper Kodak Black. The music video was directed by Spiff TV, French brings attention to Florida’s Haitian community by riding around Broward County with Kodak Black. French also revealed on Big Boy TV’s ‘Gimme 5‘ segment that the two never actually spoke to one another during the shoot, and their interactions were limited to Kodak growling at him. Even though Big Boy asked him to name someone he has collaborated with who was the most difficult, French wanted to be clear that Kodak wasn’t necessarily difficult, but that they were both “about that life.” The song was certified Platinum by the RIAA in March 2017, for selling over 1,000,000 digital copies in the United States.

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