Bill Kahan Kapri, known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 songs "No Flockin" and "Skrt", both of which led him to sign a recording contract with Atlantic Records. The former received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), while the latter received platinum certification; "No Flockin" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 two years later as a sleeper hit.
His 2017 single, "Tunnel Vision" was met with further success at number six on the chart and preceded the release of his debut studio album Painting Pictures (2017), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. His first commercial mixtape (and fifth overall), Project Baby 2, was released that same year and peaked at number two on the chart, also spawning the triple platinum-certified single "Roll in Peace" (featuring XXXTentacion). His second album, Dying to Live (2018) yielded his furthest commercial success and peaked atop the Billboard 200. It spawned the single "Zeze" (featuring Travis Scott and Offset), which peaked at two on the Billboard Hot 100, received sextuple platinum certification by the RIAA, and remains his highest-charting song.
Kodak Black's career has been marked by periods of mainstream success, as well as public controversies and legal issues. His legal troubles began in middle school and spiked crucially throughout the late 2010s. Black was accused of rape in 2016 and faced the charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in South Carolina. He was given a plea bargain in 2021 to the lesser offense of assault and battery and was sentenced to probation. In 2019, Black was arrested for making false statements to possess weapons and was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison; his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump in 2021.
While incarcerated, he released his third album Bill Israel (2020), which saw less promotion and commercial orientation. His 2021 single, "Super Gremlin" saw a commercial resurgence, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was included on fourth album, Back for Everything (2022). His fifth and sixth albums, Pistolz & Pearlz and When I Was Dead, were both released in 2023.
