Southern Plug Magazine: Leaders of the New School 2017 Volume 2 Issue 1 A | Page 45

An MC who broke out of Pompano Beach, Florida when he
was just 18 years old, Kodak Black (Dieuson Octave)
attracted listeners with a sound that harked back to the
Dirty South of the '90s. In 2013, he introduced his Lil'
Boosie-influenced snarly vocals to the world, but what
surprised the audience was his Master P-like music and his
heavy, often dark lyrics, both of which seemed odd
coming from a then-16-year-old. Recording demos in the
back of a drug house and repeated visits to juvenile court
gave weight to his violent lyrics and stories of inner-city
life -- two things that fueled his 2014 mixtape, Project
Baby. The mixtape Heart of the Projects followed in 2015,
featuring "SKRT," a hit track that got massive exposure
when superstar Drake shared it on the Web and played in
on his OVO Sound Radio show. After signing a deal with
Atlantic, his third mixtape, Institution, appeared at the
end of the year. In 2016, Kodak Black appeared on French
Montana's hit single "Lockjaw" before releasing his fourth
mixtape, Lil B.I.G. Pac. The following year he put out his
debut studio album, Painting Pictures, which featured
guest spots from Jeezy, Future, and Young Thug. Kodak
quickly returned with Project Baby 2 later in 2017, the
fifth mixtape and sequel to the 2014 Project Baby release.