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Lil Kari discusses his roots in Florida, biggest influences, how he landed at Steve Rifkins Spring Sound, his schooling, performing for Master P, and more!

August 7, 2021 Lil Kari discusses his roots in Florida, biggest influences, how he landed at Steve Rifkins Spring Sound, his schooling, performing for Master P, and more! If you havent heard of Lil Kari prepare to fall in love. The definition of a Down South Baby, the rising star serves as the next hottest artist to come out of Pompano Beach County, Florida, living out his dreams at only 18 years old. Arriving on the scene with a fresh new sound to the rap game influenced directly by his peers from Kodak Black to Rod Wave Kari flexes his talents and versatility with each release. In describing himself, Kari states, Im taking on different things, letting people know my experiences, different flows, triple entendres, cadences. Really a new sound from Florida, but also taking on whats already been established from the people before me. Kari has had one hell of a year, with his current single Down South Baby gaining traction daily and he even had numerous tracks synced on ESPN, with The City becoming one of theme songs for the NBA draft. Gaining notoriety on TikTok as well, Kari is here to swoon audiences all around the world with his catchy sound, loveable personality, and heartfelt lyrics. AllHipHop: Youre from Pompano Beach County, what was that like growing up? Lil Kari : It was the same as any other place, any other hood. We different in our way because we all have our own different style. Growing up just working, coming with that mindset of kill or be killed. Gotta maintain, gotta gain, some people by any means necessary. Really establishing myself because I was always able to work as a youngin, getting it any type of way I could. Whether that be working at Normans Photoland or working with the church, doing different things to get money. Selling candy, thats how I grew up. AllHipHop: Biggest influences growing up? Lil Kari : I listen to a lot of artists growing up honestly. Im really an old soul so I listen to a lot of old rappers. Not even just rap music, but New Edition. Im really into them. Isley Brothers, DMX of course, Run-DMC, Biggie Smalls, Tupac obviously. West Coast rap was definitely hard growing up. Ice Cube, everybody setting their milestone. As far as new age rappers, I really was into Kodak back in middle school, blasting that on the way most def. Kodak Black from elementary going into middle school. AllHipHop: Whats your favorite Kodak song? Lil Kari : Thats hard, theres a lot. Yak comes with it boy. Its so many Yak songs that slide, I dont even know. I could say the best album, a body of work. Probably Lil B.I.G. Pac. If not that, then his Institution album or Project Baby. Its a lot, its so much. Dying to Live: Testimony, From The Cradle that boy Yak be coming with the heat for sure. AllHipHop: I feel like Florida has been having a moment in the rap game. Lil Kari : Definitely, we coming real hard. Florida definitely has some stuff coming, were coming like Atlanta. Were the new Atlanta. Were becoming the mecca for this. AllHipHop: Howd it feel hearing yourself back? Lil Kari : Hearing myself back, hold on, that boy slides! When I first heard me on the track, I said okay, that b#### hard low key. Everybody in the studio said damn!, because I had freestyled it off the head. I didnt expect to rap when I went there, this isnt my session. They said boy you slide! That b#### definitely became pressure. AllHipHop: What was the inspiration behind your name? Lil Kari : From my actual name, I just put lil in front of it, KarI is a variation of my first name. AllHipHop: Why are you the DOWN SOUTH BABY? Lil Kari : Down South Baby is one of them records! Its good. You can hear it in the song, its going crazy. Its showcasing down South and where Im from. It gives people a different perspective. Most of my music, youll hear perspective. I tell a lot of stories in my music. When Im telling people about my life, what I go through on a day to day basis, what I went through on my down South experience, its different types of perspective youll hear. Its doing real good, Im getting a lot of feedback. A lot of people are messing with it down here in Florida. AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you shot the video. Lil Kari : It was a good day, but certain stuff doesnt go the way you want it to go. All in all, the video was lit. We definitely made it happen, it came together the way its supposed to. Theres always going to be hiccups, but definitely lit. AllHipHop: Was that all your family in there? Lil Kari : Not all of them, but my grandmother, my cousins, and my little sister. AllHipHop: Highlight from shooting that day? Lil Kari : The best one in that video was when we went to the park. We went to Oswald Park, from park to park shooting content. Everybody was showing love, people came out for me. All in different cars that came out, everybody that came into the video, but the best part is when we went into the park. AllHipHop: Whats Rod Waves influence on you and your art? Lil Kari : Rod Wave is a big influen Read more