THE KID LAROI
Written for Sniffers, published in 2019
Photography: Haan, Saik & Laroi @ An Andpeople Party
We Threw In JD Sports For Adidas Originals
Words: MJB
The Kid Laroi has all the attributes of a wunderkind: he’s young and he’s getting it. His career is elevating higher than he could have ever anticipated–with co-signs from Juice WRLD, Denzel Curry, Lyrical Lemonade, and Rolling Loud–he’s living a millennial rap fantasy.
The Kid Laroi’s proposition isn’t just defined by circles around the sun: he has a very clear vision, backed by an unwavering belief that youth is defined by spirit. It’s this confidence and energy, which enables him to accept success; after all, he manifested it into existence.
There’s an air of defiance about The Kid that tells you he’s looking directly at the unknown, and he doesn’t fear it. He stays focused, agile, and paranoid, which is all you really can do when your world is moving faster than you are.
–––
Being fifteen means people can’t help but typecast you by age. When I was fifteen I was the purest I’ve ever been. Whatever I was thinking, I would say. If I was angry, then it was rage. If it was love, then it was true love. Do you feel like that?
People think I don’t know anything because I’m young, but who’s to say what 15 feels like? I feel everything ten times more. It’s like shut the fuck up; I just want to be me.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up everywhere. I was born in Sydney, and moved to the Woolloomooloo/Kings Cross area at two, and when I was seven, I moved to this little country town called Broken Hill. At eleven, I moved back to Redfern. I hadn’t been here in so long, so it was like starting again. I love being here because it’s where I called home the most. One house, one household.
Being transient is a good thing if you’re a musician that needs to tour a lot. People get really attached to feeling comfortable.
It’s fucked up though, because I can’t go outside of my area without just wanting to go back there. Well, when I’m in Sydney anyway. I’d love to go overseas, I’d even move over.
Where would you want to go?
New York, there’s heavy shit there, or the Hollywood Hills. I’m just trying to live somewhere nice. I’d maybe like to live in France later on.
New York is great, just being around the culture is aspirational. Does being Australian give you a point of difference in the USA?
I don’t think it’s about a point of difference, I’d say it’s about being unique because my music isn’t anchored in one sound.
What did you grow up listening to?
I have to be honest with you; I never listened to Aussie rap. My mother always played The Fugees, Erykah Badu, Tupac. Everyday after school, my best friend and I would watch videos of DMX performing, and then naturally we moved onto Young Thug and Future.
You were born with the internet. Does it play a big part in your life?
I like to live my life IRL. A lot of kids have friends on the internet and only see them once a week, or just talk to them online. My best friend is like a brother to me. We met at the youth service - we met in real life, and our relationship manifested in real life. We don’t even talk over text like that, because we literally see each other every single day.
What will happen once you start touring more or move overseas? How will those IRL relationships be impacted?
I’ve thought about this a lot. My best friend is really talented at what he does; he’s a great fighter, a great boxer. I want someone to teach him how to tour manage or something like that. It’s not just about me winning; I want everyone around me to win. I don’t want anybody to get left behind, particularly people like him, because those people don’t come around often - especially when you start blowing up. If you have people who were around you before all the music shit, then you need to keep them around. Nobody else will want you for who you really are.
It’s true. When you start winning, people start gassing you up and telling you that you’re the shit. It’s important to stay paranoid.
It’s important to have friends that will humble you too. You see all these motherfuckers gassed up and it’s not even their fault; their own people are telling them they are the shit. Obviously you can’t ever maintain a normal lifestyle doing this, but you can make it as normal as you can. You can stay as sane as you can by keeping your people in it.
When you do make it–because you will if you keep up this attitude and momentum–will you stay chill like Cordae, or get dripped out like Quavo?
Shout out Cordae! My biggest inspirations in hip-hop are J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Childish Gambino. They don’t need to wear expensive jewellery and clothes for you to know that they’re important. It’s in their presence and achievements - they prove themselves through their work, not what they’ve got on their body. I’m not about to wear a whole bunch of jewellery just to flex. There is a difference between treating yourself, and doing it because you think everyone is going to approve of you looking like that. When I step into a room, I want people to know that I am who I am. I definitely want to stay humble.
When you have nothing, and then suddenly have everything, it’s easy to get wrapped up in it all. But if you get money and you spend it all, you’re going to be broke again, real quick.
That’s just logic. I don’t get why it’s so hard for people to figure out, it’s common sense. After I play a show, I definitely want to buy things, but I’m telling you: it’s the people around me. They tell me to put the money away, and that keeps me grounded and keeps me moving. It puts me in a good mindset by having a team who are responsible. I haven’t always had that.
The rap game is very resourceful. What do you want to do outside of music?
It’s crazy you’re asking this, because before this I was designing clothes. I want to do high-end fashion. My own line, exclusive pieces. I’ve already started developing it, but for now I’m focused on doing one-off pieces just for me. I want to get into acting, I want to get into production, and I want to invest in houses. When I get money, I want to use it wisely. All that money doesn’t last forever.
I really want to hear your perspective on virality. There are so many rappers who work with Cole Bennett and blow up overnight. But if you don’t have more quality music, and a team that is looking in the same direction, is it even possible to sustain hype?
The problem isn’t blowing up; it’s what you do after you go viral. If you have no follow through, then you will fade away and nobody will care. If you’re consistent, and you drop good and proper tracks, and you have a good team that don’t just want you to make money, that counts more than anything.
You’ve toured with Juice WRLD, Denzel Curry, and you’ve played at Rolling Loud. These are seriously huge shows. Are you a natural performer?
I fucking love performing. It’s a lot harder to play to one person than it is to one thousand people, but it’s never awkward for me, I guess because I’m rowdy as fuck. I’m not lazy at all; I’ve got a lot of energy.
Hold onto that shit; use it while you’ve got it. After playing Rolling Loud in Australia, how long afterwards did you find out you were playing Rolling Loud in Miami?
I literally had no idea until 4-hours before the poster went out. I was like fuck yeah; let’s do this shit!
Is this your first time heading overseas? Did you ever think music would take you there?
Yeah it is. I probably wouldn’t go anywhere if music didn’t take me there. I always knew that music was going to happen for me, I just didn’t know exactly how it was going to happen, or how soon. I always manifested this in my head. It’s mad weird; I trip myself out thinking about it. I’ll have a vision, I’ll keep thinking about it, I work towards it, and then it happens.
The thing about manifesting is that it forces you to plot your goals and put yourself on that trajectory. People work their whole careers for moments like these. There is a perception that you get a head start if you start young, but it’s really about how long you’re in the game.
Being fifteen is a blessing and a curse. It does bring you more attention when you’re young, and you’re doing things that grown people do. But people underestimate you; they put it down to you being a kid, because things were different in their generation. Older people weren’t thinking about the things we think about now. We have the fucking Internet now, so everyone is exposed, everyone has a grown mind.
That’s just evolution. Speaking of, I keep wondering when this current rap sound will start to date, and what will come next.
I’m trying to make music that will last forever, not just for this wave. The thing is, your sound will grow when you grow. I’m always growing as a person, and my music reflects that.
What scares you more: fame or fortune?
Fame. I’d rather have money and nobody give a fuck about who I am, and just keep doing me. I’d rather that than having everyone knowing who I am, bugging me, always wanting something. But fuck it you got to do what you got to do. Like I said, I can adapt as long as I keep the right people around me. As long as I do that, then all of the other shit will be a breeze.
