Where Does The Kid Laroi’s Name Come From?
Gen Z breakout singer The Kid Laroi has already made a name for himself in the music industry. The 18-year-old singer topped the charts with his hit 2021 single “Stay” with Justin Bieber, and he’s only just getting started.
The Kid Laroi is Australian
Despite having hits on the Billboard charts in the US, The Kid Laroi is actually from Sydney, Australia. He first started releasing music back in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2020 when he made a bigger name for himself stateside — and everwyehre else. His debut mixtape, F— Love, showed that he was much more than a simple rapper as he mixed elements of pop, rap, and rock.
He released two more mixtapes in the F— Love trilogy, including F— Love 3, which contained the hit single “Stay,” the chart-topping collaboration with Justin Bieber. The song gained traction on social media, and took the young Aussie artist to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Even when I feel down and I feel like I don’t want to do something, I need to remember that there’s so many people out there that would love to be in my position, and there’s so many other things I could be doing now that I would hate even more,” he told Complex in 2021. “Pretty much, this is my dream. I’m living out my dream, and this is what I always wanted to do. I have to always remember that, and be grateful for it.”
The Kid Laroi’s name comes from his Aboriginal tribe
Some people believe Laroi to be his real name, but it’s actually a stage name. His mother, Sloane Howard, is of Indigenous Australian descent.
Laroi recounted his family history in a 2017 interview with Capacité when he was just 14 years old. His maternal great-great grandfather was a part of Australia’s “Stolen Generation” of children who were of mixed Aboriginal descent; he was taken from his Aboriginal family and sent to live with an unrelated white family and was told he was “Spanish” throughout his childhood to hide his real heritage and explain his complexion.
He found out at the age of 18 that he was actually of Aboriginal descent; more specifically, he was a descendant of the Kamilaroi people. The Kid Laroi decided to make it his stage name, and has taken pride in being an Indigenous rapper since he first emerged in 2017.
The Kid Laroi is a global superstar
The Kid Laroi has taken the name of his great-great grandfather’s Aboriginal tribe name and turned it into an internationally-recognized moniker. But despite being at the top of the charts and selling countless records, he doesn’t concern himself with the numbers game of the music industry.
“I just make music and I put it out, and that’s good enough for me,” he told Complex. “I support my family. That’s how I measure success: the fact that I’m able to take care of my family. I don’t give a f— what number it is on any chart, as long as I’m still able to support my family and keep everybody happy.”
