Breakout MC and Little Rock, Ark. native Kari Faux is coming into her own. The young star, born Kari Johnson, broke into the rap game during the summer of 2014, when she dropped “No Small Talk” and garnered the attention of Childish Gambino. Bino would later take the budding spitta under his wing and remix the song.

Last week, Faux dropped her debut album, Lost En Los Angelesfeaturing the singles “Supplier” and “This Right Here.” The 11-song project shows off Kari's unique style and magnetizing talent.

Through her music, Kari wants to help others. "Starting to do shows and actually seeing people liking the music or know the words to my music that's the thing that keeps me going or doing something positive in my life and for other people," she tells XXL. "I think that’s really dope that I can be a symbol for somebody else who doesn’t necessarily have anyone to relate to."

With another project coming out this summer and an upcoming show in New York on April 28 at SOBs, Kari is gearing up to become a household name. Get to know the rising MC here.

Name: Kari Faux

Age: 23

Hometown: Little Rock, Ark.

I grew up listening to: "I listened to a lot of different things. I listen to the radio a lot growing up so like anything from the early 2000s from the radio I’m probably in love with. My dad used to listen to a lot of classical and Parliament and jazz bands. My mom was a minster so I heard a lot of gospel. I just listened to anything that anybody else was listening to then I discovered my own. I got [Kanye West's] The College Dropout in elementary and I also have [OutKast's] The Love Below, which is like my favorite album ever.

I wasn’t necessarily looking to make a career out of [music] at first. It was definitely something that I just enjoyed doing. When I was in high school I used to make music with my friends then quit, when I went to college I quit making music cause I was just like nobody will ever care about me being from Arkansas or what I have to say. Then I kinda just picked back on it after I linked with my co-producer Black Party and he was just like, “you enjoy doing this stuff, you might as well just do it.” Then I did then it turned into a career. It was just something I was doing and people liked it so I just kept going."

Most people don’t know: "I’m really into art. I really enjoy art and I kind of want to explore that more outside of music through maybe like art installations. When I went to school, I went to a school for like audio and video and I really started to enjoy visuals stuff as well in music. I went to Art Institute."

My style has been compared to: "I call it alternative rap. I rapping but I don’t think it sounds like what most people consider rap music."

Standout moment to date:
“'No Small Talk' and 'GAHDAMN' I feel like they go hand in hand. “No Small Talk” because that’s the song Childish Gambino remixed. 'GAHDAMN' because that song became more popular then 'No Small Talk.'"

My goal in hip-hop is: "To basically stay me and do things that I feel like I would want to hear. I just want to be myself and have people fuck with it honestly."

I’m going to be the next:
 "I don’t necessarily want to be the next anything. I just want to be myself to be honest [laughs]."

Follow Kari Faux on Twitter and Soundcloud.

Standout: Lost En Los Angeles



Laugh Now, Die Later

"Nada"

“This Right Here”

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