The Kid LAROI

Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard was born in Waterloo, in Sydney's inner south, and spent part of his childhood in Broken Hill and Adelaide before returning to Sydney. His parents separated when he was four, and he later attended the Australian Performing Arts Grammar School on a scholarship before leaving during year nine to pursue music.

Howard began recording rap verses on his mother's phone and uploading them to SoundCloud. His interest in hip-hop was encouraged by music he heard at home, including recordings by Fugees, 2Pac, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. His stage name refers to his Kamilaroi heritage.

In 2015, Howard formed the duo Dream$Team with Adelaide rapper DJ Marcus Jr., also known as LadyKiller. The partnership gave him a mentor and promoter while he recorded songs and performed for local audiences. He later met Sydney producer Khaled Rohaim, who helped him record and gave him opportunities to write for other artists.

Howard signed a development deal with Sony Music Australia in 2017. He also worked to meet established performers, an effort that led to an introduction to Swae Lee and eventually to a collaboration. In 2019, American rapper Lil Bibby signed him to Grade A Productions in a joint arrangement with Columbia Records.

Howard released his debut EP, 14 with a Dream, on 16 August 2018, the day before his fifteenth birthday. The project included collaborations with Manu Crooks, B Wise and Miracle. That year, he finished in the top five of the Triple J Unearthed High competition and performed at events including Listen Out Festival, Triple J's One Night Stand Festival and Newtown Festival.

He also supported THEY and appeared alongside Australian performers including Tkay Maidza and Triple One. His work attracted wider attention through a 2019 documentary filmed in Redfern, while his signing to Grade A Productions and Columbia Records established an international path for his career.

The Kid LAROI released his debut mixtape, Fck Love, in July 2020. The project explored heartbreak, grief and emotional turmoil, and featured Lil Mosey, Corbin and Juice WRLD. Its expanded editions, Fck Love: (Savage) and Fck Love 3: Over You, produced the hit singles "Without You" and "Stay." Fck Love* reached number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, making him the youngest Australian solo act to achieve that result.

Juice WRLD became an important mentor to The Kid LAROI after he opened for him on Australian tours in 2018 and 2019. The Kid LAROI later lived with him in Los Angeles to learn about studio work and recording. After Juice WRLD's death in December 2019, The Kid LAROI released "Go," which included a verse recorded by Juice WRLD, and paid tribute to him in songs including "Tell Me Why."

"Without You" became a major international success after a remix with Miley Cyrus, reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. In July 2021, The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber released "Stay," which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in several other countries. They performed the song at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, and The Kid LAROI won Best Artist and Best Pop Release at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards.

The Kid LAROI released his debut studio album, The First Time, in November 2023. It was preceded by the singles "I Can't Go Back to the Way It Was (Intro)," "Love Again" and "Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1)," and included guest appearances from YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Future and d4vd. The album reached number three on the ARIA Albums Chart and number 23 on the Billboard 200.

During this period, he performed at Coachella, recorded "Forever & Again" for the Barbie soundtrack and released "Too Much" with Jung Kook and Central Cee. He also made his acting debut as Soccer Chris in the film Y2K. His documentary Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About a Kid Named Laroi, released in 2024, focused on his experience in the music industry and honoured Juice WRLD.

The Kid LAROI expanded his work beyond recorded music through the Fortnite concert experience The Kid LAROI's Wild Dreams. The event included an interactive island, music and cosmetic items. In May 2024, he established The LAROI Foundation, a charity created to positively affect children.