Kid LAROI, The (2003-…), is an Australian rap musician and songwriter. He is known for his work in emo rap. Emo rap is a style of music, popularized in the 2010’s, that is characterized by emotional lyrics that are both sung and rapped. The Kid LAROI became famous on the music-sharing service SoundCloud before signing a recording contract and rising to international success. In 2021, he won two Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards, including best artist. 
The Kid LAROI was born on Aug. 17, 2003, in an inner suburb of Sydney, in the Australian state of New South Wales. His birth name is Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard. His father was a producer and sound engineer who worked with successful Australian acts such as Bardot and Delta Goodrem. His mother was a talent manager. On his mother’s side, Howard is a member of the Kamilaroi people, an Australian Aboriginal group. He adopted the stage name The Kid LAROI in reference to this heritage.
After Howard’s parents separated, he moved with his mother and brother to rural Broken Hill, Australia. He began seriously making music at age 12. After returning to Sydney, he met the Australian producer Khaled Rohaim, who helped him advance his career.
In 2018, Howard released his debut EP, 14 with a Dream. EP stands for extended play. This type of musical recording includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. In 2019, he joined the American rapper Juice Wrld on his Australian tour. Over the next two years, Howard’s frequent collaborations with Juice Wrld and other SoundCloud artists helped propel him to international fame. That same year, Howard signed a deal with Columbia Records and moved to the United States.
Howard’s debut mixtape was released in 2020. In hip-hop culture, a mixtape is an independently produced recording, often distributed for free. The recording reached the top of the Australian music charts.
In 2021, Howard collaborated with the American singer Miley Cyrus and, separately, with the Canadian singer Justin Bieber. One of Howard’s singles with Bieber, “Stay,” reached number one on Billboard magazine’s “Hot 100” music chart. Later that year, Howard’s mixtape reached number one on the “Billboard 200” music chart. Howard also recorded and co-wrote the song “Forever & Again” for the soundtrack of the motion picture Barbie (2023). His debut studio album, The First Time, was released in 2023.
