The art of flexing with rapper K$upreme

When K$upreme was 13, he was just like us, fiending over Supreme box logo hoodies and White Cement 3s. Having grown up in Pasadena California and looking up to his older brother, KPreme was “with” the culture at a very young age. In 2013, he moved to Atlanta in order to attend Kennesaw State University. Through mutual friends, Kpreme met his soon-to-be BFF, Lil Yachty. A semester later, he abandoned his biochemical engineering dreams in hopes of making it big on Soundcloud. And like every other Soundcloud rapper story, he moved in with Yachty and used their place as a recording studio. Soon after Lil Yachty blew up from his first single One Night, it was time for K$upreme to shine. Before you read any further, yes a grown man decided to name himself after a streetwear brand- his first name starts with a K and his favorite brand at the time was Supreme (to be fair, he was rocking Supreme while people were still on Pink Dolphin). After he found himself a rapper name, he recorded his first song and video Ku$h Bags. His first song sounds like everyone’s first song during the 2014-2016 era. Over a heavy yet mellow beat that holds similarities to a Yung Lean type joint, he raps about topics that he cherishes the most- selling and smoking weed, spending money on clothes and intercourse with women. And from here on out, this is all K$upreme will be rapping about. On every mixtape though, he takes it to a higher level. His first song did not get as much attention as one would hope, despite having Lil Yachty and 25 other dudes in the video showing off their Ozweegos and bleached H&M jeans.

In late 2016, K$upreme along with his driver were arrested in New York City carrying guns and an undisclosed amount of weed and pills. After KPreme was put in jail, Yachty came out with Free K$upreme, a cute little freestyle dedicated to his prisoned friend. The freestyle came out at a perfect time, Yachty had just blown up and was on everyone’s radar- from modeling for Yeezy’s first season to touring with everyone’s favorite rapper, Young Thug. Post his release, KPreme joined Yachty on his tour with Thugger and noted that after meeting Young Thug, he decided to take his music more seriously. Soon after the tour, the Sailing Team parted ways, as group members being were too lazy, and Yatchy and KPreme began to bond even more. This was ideal for his first mixtape release in 2017, Flex Muzik. With much of the production done by himself and with a little help from Pierre Bourne, Kpreme gives an underwhelming first impression. The mixtape features Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Rich The Kid, Duwap Kaine and former Sailing Team member Kodie Shane. As bad as it sounds, it doesn’t sound like the artists want to waste a verse on another Atlanta rapper that might go unheard. Despite what’s been said, the lead-off track Bout That Money was a great mixtape starter. Some notable songs also include So High, Gang and Uzi.

2018 was a good year for K$upreme. Despite dropping a rather mediocre project, he still gained a following from it and was able to surpass the limiting label of “Lil Yachty’s friend." He gained new fans from his Instagram as well, flexing rare Prada, Number (N)ine, Chrome Hearts and iced out jewelry. His new mixtape, Flex Muzik 2, was well received and presented the rap world with a better impression of K$upreme. The mixtape included a lot of great songs and features. Run Wit da Sack featuring Hoodrich Pablo Juan and Yachty, No Deal with Ski Mask the Slump God and Hang Up the Phone with Playboi Carti stood out above others. Other notable songs include Hunnits, Nice, Bad Bitches Party and my personal favorite, 50.

Combine his need for flexing with an idiosyncratic rap style, KPreme was closing in on his peak moment- Gucci Cologne. The music video garnered 2.5 million views and was shared by the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Pharell and other big-name rap artists in the game. The single was the perfect segway to his latest mixtape, Caught Fire. After signing with Atlantic Records, his label required him to add a second verse to most of his songs, increasing the flex level of his music. KPreme was as motivated as ever, he needed that sack! Compared to his first mixtape, that sounded like he was recording his music in Yachty’s closet, KPreme collaborated with the young and established producer ChaseTheMoney. As odd as it sounds, “flex rapper” K$upreme turns his sound a little more personal on his latest project. Not Kanye talking about his mental health personal, but Kpreme looks at the audience as a friend, almost like every song is a conversation: with KPreme describing his exotic life of fast cars, cool clothes, and women. It is also more personal in that he only has one song with a feature on it, HOT HAM, which includes Chief Keef and Lil Yachty, two people he listed as a source of inspiration. This can also be an underlying message to his followers, he is no longer reliant on big-name features and can hold a project on his own. For mixtape that a boomer might claim sounds unoriginal, it is well mixed and every song flows well. With nine songs and a duration of 20 minutes, Caught Fire is the epitome of K$upreme’s sound. While I recommend listening to the whole mixtape because I know you have nothing else to do, some notables and personal favorites include: Intro track Caught Fire, Diamond Tester, Up Now and Uh Uh Uh.

My life will never be as cool as his, can you please stream his music and help him buy more Off White? Thanks