this months one to watch artist is australian artist the kid laroi

17-year old Australian rapper, singer, and songwriter The Kid LAROI is this month’s ‘One to Watch’ artist. Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard was born on August 17, 2003 in Sydney, and raised in rural Australia.

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At the age of 13, LAROI took an interest in rapping and in 2015, met his former producer and mentor, Marcus aka DJ Ladykiller. Marcus and LAROI, who, at the time, went by Charlton, formed a duo-act called Dream Team, and Charlton soon changed his stage name to LAROI. A few years later, the duo went their separate ways and by 2018, DJ Ziggy discovered LAROI, signed him to his ART Management label, and dropped his debut EP, ’14 With a Dream.’

A year later, LAROI gained attention after competing and becoming a finalist in the Triple J Unearthed high competition. It was after the competition that LAROI signed a record deal with Lil Bibby’s Grade A Productions and Columbia Records label, and was later mentored by Juice WRLD. LAROI was also Juice’s supporting act on his Australian national tours in both 2018 and 2019. In 2019, LAROI released the music video for a record titled ‘Let Her Go.’

In early 2020, LAROI released a collaboration with Lil Teca called ‘Diva,’ and the video accumulated over 20 million views on YouTube. By March of the same year, LAROI released ‘Addison Rae,’ and in April, he released another collaboration, this time with rapper Lil Tjay on a track titled ‘Fade Away.’

On June 12, 2020, LAROI released his highly-anticipated Juice WRLD collaboration, ‘Go.’ The record debuted at No. 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and became his first charting single. NAROI later earned his first top-ten single with his second collaboration with Juice WRLD, ‘Hate the Other Side,’ which is featured on Juice’s posthumous album, Legends Never Die.

On July 24, LAROI released his ‘F*ck Love’ mixtape, which debuted at No. 8, and peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200. Prior to its release, LAROI dropped ‘Tell Me Why,’ a track dedicated to the late Juice WRLD. By October, LAROI released yet another massive track, ‘So Done.’ The record peaked at No. 59 on the Billboard charts and in November, a deluxe edition of his mixtape, ‘F*ck Love (Savage’ was released.

Talking with Spotify, LAROI was asked about the beginning stage of his musical career, Juice WRLD and growing up in Australia.

S: At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to pursue a musical career? What was your first step in making it happen?

L: “Right from the start, honestly. Some of my earliest memories involve music. The first step is actually doing it. You can only do so much planning before it’s time to execute. I was already writing and recording when I could, so getting that studio experience early on was pivotal.”

S: You have been very open about Juice WRLD’s being your mentor. How did that relationship influence your creative process? What memories do you have from touring together?

L: “My biggest memories from Juice is how he always went all out for his fans no matter what while on tour. Regardless of how he was feeling that day or if he wasn’t having the best day, you couldn’t tell once he got onstage, and that’s how I want to be. You have to put the fans first because we wouldn’t be here without them. Working with him definitely expanded my creativity and increased my love for making music.”

S: How has growing up in Australia influenced your perspective and work ethic as an artist? What has that journey been like transitioning into (and now gaining recognition in) the U.S. market?

L: “My upbringing really just made me a go-getter. It implanted the work ethic that got me to where I am now. The journey has been fun and challenging so far. Quarantine has kind of slowed things down a bit as far as going out and actually doing shows, but even so it’s been worth it. The transition was made much easier because of my team around me. They make sure I’m always comfortable and at home.”

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Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits says, “The Kid LAROI is an artist we’ve been watching closely for the last eighteen months. LAROI developed a rabid fan base in Australia and then translated it to an even bigger audience in the U.S., which is incredibly rare and speaks to his potential as a global hit maker. The vulnerability and boldness of his music places him at the heart of young music audiences across the world. We can’t wait to see LAROI break on a superstar level.”