Kiara Johnson, also known by her stage name Katie Got Bandz (born July 22, 1993), is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois, most recognized for her song "Pop Out" featuring King L.[1][2][3]
Katie Got Bandz | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kiara Johnson |
| Born | July 22, 1993 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, drill |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | EGL Entertainment |
Early life edit
Katie is from Bronzeville, a neighborhood in the Low End area of South Side, Chicago. Katie cites her neighborhood as the muse for her lyrics and the stories she tells while rapping.[4] Her favorite rappers were Waka Flocka Flame, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne. Prior to rapping, she studied biology and pre-med at Truman College.[5]
Musical career edit
Katie is the debut female rapper of Chicago's drill music scene,[6] though she has announced plans to transition her music to a more global sound. In several interviews she spoke of the poor reputation Chicago has with respect to crime and violence and the attack of drill music as a result. Katie has said that her intention with drill music is to portray her authentic experience and emphasizes she does not want to influence crime or contribute to the already high crime rate in Chicago through her music.[7]
Her last project Drillary Clinton 3 was released on December 23, 2015, and she intended to transition her sound with this project while paying homage to drill music at the same time.[1] After a three-year hiatus, she returned with the single "Work It Girl", released on May 10, 2018. She stated that she felt "refreshed" and was ready to let her fans "discover a different side" of her. She released her first mixtape in four years, Rebirth, in July 2019.[8] In 2022, she had a verse on Nicki Minaj's 'Super Freaky Girl: Queen Mix', which was highly popular and sampled from Rick James' 'Super Freak.'
Discography edit
Mixtapes edit
References edit
- ^ a b Yohance, Kyle [1] All Hip Hop. July 28, 2015.
- ^ Battan, Carrie [2] Pitchfork. March 6, 2013.
- ^ Raymer, Miles [3] Vice. December 3, 2012.
- ^ Barber, Andrew [4] FSD. March 23, 2012.
- ^ "You Need To Know: Chicago Teen Rapper Katie Got Bandz". Fuse. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon Chicago Hip-Hop’s Raw Burst of Change New York Times. October 4, 2012.
- ^ Todd, Jessica [5]Vlad TV. July 29, 2015.
- ^ The TRiiBe The Return of Katie Got Bandz Chicago Reader. July 31, 2019.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Bandz and Hittaz". Apple Music. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Drillary Clinton". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Drillary Clinton 2". LiveMixTapes. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Coolin In Chiraq Hosted by DJ Bandz, DJ Scream, DJ Lil Keem". LiveMixTapes. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Zero To 39th". LiveMixTapes. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Drillary Clinton 3". Apple Music. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Katie Got Bandz - Rebirth". DatPiff. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Stream and Download Mixtapes - Katie Got Bandz - DC4". www.certifiedmixtapez.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.