For 21-year-old singer/songwriter Karri, he didn’t choose to learn the piano — his mother made him.
“Filipino parents. They make you go to piano lessons, I’ll tell you that,” says the Bay Area star. “Dude, I had to do piano lessons until like eighth grade. [I’m] thankful, though, because I wish I would have kept going knowing what I know now.”
Now, Karri is a thriving R&B freshman with major-league co-signs ranging from Drake to Lil Baby and Kehlani. After his song “3 AM in Oakland” bubbled into a sleeper hit on social media in 2023, Karri received a phone call from Drake’s right-hand, Chubbs, and soon after, landed a deal with his imprint PFL.
“I remember a mutual friend of ours texted me and said, ‘Drake and Chubbs heard your music,’” remembers Karri. “I was on the game, and I was like, ‘What are you talking about, bro?’ He was like, ‘Stay by your phone. He’s gonna call you.’ Chubbs called me, and that same night, I was at his studio playing music. From there, we just went to Toronto. Now Chubbs is like the big brother. I appreciate everything Chubbs has done for me so far. It’s only up from here.”
Karri adopted Drake and Chubbs’ disciplined approach and buried himself in the studio, sometimes for long stretches, until he pieced together his debut project, Late Night Slider Music. Released last month, the six-track EP is a seamless fusion of Karri’s Bay Area roots and his profound admiration for Toronto’s moody R&B sonics. His crown jewel, “Oakland Pt. 2,” is the sequel to his 2023 hit, “3 AM in Oakland,” where his slow-burning “Lo N Slo” sound thrives.
“Late Night Slider Music just felt like the perfect collection of songs you can play in a whip, smoking late night and cruising,” he says. “If you wanna pull up on someone late-night, play this sh-t. You wanna just be driving in the city, play this s–t.”
Get more acquainted with Billboard’s January R&B Rookie of the Month, Karri, below, as he talks about linking up with Drake and Chubbs, his affinity for The Bay, his desire to grow as a songwriter, and more.
What has been the most enjoyable part about your journey so far?
Honestly, just making the new music and casting a vibe everywhere I’m at. I feel like every time I’m in a new place, it’s always a new vibe. I always make different vibes in different places. When I’m in the city, I make great music. When I’m in L.A., I make great music. When I’m in Houston, Toronto, or even the Philippines, everywhere I go, I make different vibes and curate them to where I’m at.
You haven’t done too many interviews, and there’s hardly any information about you online. How would you break down your come-up story?
I really wouldn’t be doing music if it wasn’t for my cousin Danny or my friend Joel. My cousin Danny used to pick me up from high school and I didn’t play basketball anymore. So he would pick me up, we’d go to my mom or auntie’s crib and he had the little recording setup in the closet. I would just go and record with him. It went from a hobby to “I’m kind of good with this. Let me keep going.”
Did you get full support from your family when you decided to pursue music?
At first, my mom was confused. I feel like she’s still confused. [Laughs.] She comes from the Philippines, so the way of life in the Philippines is a little bit different. She understands now. She’s proud. She just always worries about me, because she was a single mom growing up. Shout-out to my mom. She didn’t get it, but she does now.
When did that moment for her click?
Honestly, when I got the Drake DM. She was like, “OK.”
When I dived into your catalog and listen to your earlier tracks like “Rosetta” and “Kiki,” it sounded like two different artists versus now. It gave me Lil Mosey vibes.
I was still in high school, bro. I was trying to figure it out. You know what’s crazy? When I was 15, 16, I was at my homie Isaiah’s house and I remember I was like, “If he can do it at this young age, I can do it.” What’s stopping me from trying to pursue this? It’s kind of crazy that you say that.
Your big break came courtesy of your “3 AM in Oakland” record. When did you realize this had strong potential?
There’s a funny story with that song. Originally, it was a Bay record. I did it in Oakland. The reason why it’s called “3 AM in Oakland,” is because I couldn’t think of a name for the song. I was like, “We’re in Oakland. It’s 3 AM.” Then, we actually didn’t have that slow-down piano [breakdown in the song]. I was in the studio with P-Lo one day in San Francisco. I went into the piano in the live room, played that, sang that song over and I was like, “This is kind of fire.”
So I posted it, and the next video exploded. I was like, “Damn. I can finally do what I want in this R&B stuff.” I don’t have to worry. It was kind of cool. It just went.
You mentioned P-Lo and he’s a huge pillar down in The Bay. Who were some people who supported you early on from the city?
Growing up, HBK Gang. P-Lo, Iamsu!, [Kool] John, and Jay Ant. So them being my big bros now is kind of cool, because I grew up on their music — and honestly, it kind of inspires my sound. So for them to be the OGs — it’s kind of crazy calling them the OGs, ’cause they’re like 31 — it’s cool just having them support and really give me the green light in The Bay.
Toronto played a huge part in the sound and recording process for your debut EP Late Night Slider Music. What were you able to gain there versus when you’re recording back home in The Bay?
Being in Toronto, it’s all dark R&B, so I just embraced that when I’m out there. I really try to zone in on making that kind of sh-t versus when I’m out in the Bay. When I’m in Toronto, I’m in that mode. It’s just trying to find the balance between how do I make San Francisco and Toronto relate on a record. I could talk about San Francisco s–t in that dark Toronto R&B element.
What’s the best advice Chubbs has given you so far?
Stay in the studio. He called me two days ago and was like, “Don’t leave the studio. You’re pumping out crazy hits. Don’t leave.” He actually gave me a good example: He said when Drake is in that bag, he doesn’t leave the studio for three days. So I needed to start getting in that mode. I’m in the studio a lot, but the advice he gave me was just keep being in the studio. I love being in the studio regardless.
A song I enjoyed a lot from you in the past is “Chasing You,” because it’s you in a different kind of bag, which is pop / R&B and showed that you’re kind of limitless as a songwriter. Which song best reflects your potential as a songwriter?
That’s a good question. I would probably say “Oakland Pt. 2.” It just had a lot of little moments on that record where I was like, “This was a great, well-written song.”
Was it hard to record that record, knowing the success of “3 AM”?
Honestly, no. It just came to us. We were in the studio one day. It was me, [my manager] Blaise, Thomas and my homie, Matt. We were like, “Damn. This could be the Part 2 to ‘Oakland.’” I was like, “Damn. It actually can be.” I went back to the crib and played it on the piano and it just worked out.
When Drake DM’d you his suggestion, was that for “3 AM in Oakland” or “Oakland Pt. 2?”
That was for “3 AM in Oakland,” but it just felt right to let that fly. I kept that in for a year and then I was like, “Let me just let that fly.”
Have you been able to see Drake in the studio, and if so, what were some things you picked up from him?
Not yet, but I’m sure one day in the future.
When you think of the brotherhood that PFL has as a label, it isn’t at all competitive. So how do you guys push each other while still trying to make sure you get the job done from your respective ends?
It’s crazy. We can all get angry and mad at each other, and I feel like that’s just the best part about it — because we always figure it out at the end of the day. I feel like the best part of that is making sure we’re all aligned on s–t. That’s really how stuff gets figured out. It’s all family at the end of the day, whether we agree or not. We always figure out how to make s–t happen.
Your “Lo N Slo” sound is becoming a thing now. Is that something you plan to grow and nurture for the future?
I don’t know. I think it’ll just pop up in a random little places. I don’t wanna make it like the whole vibe.
What was the most challenging song for you to write and record on Late Night Slider Music?
Probably “Impromptu,” because that record took a month to finish. Usually, I’ll finish songs in like a week, but that just took like a month, because we had to put in a B-section. It was just a lot of moving parts to get that record done. It was a fun record to make, but it was challenging figuring out the structure.
How involved are you on the production side of things?
I’m very hands-on. I’ll literally touch everything. I don’t know. I just like being creative with people. I don’t wanna just sit back and kick it in the studio. I want to be present and a part of everything that’s going on.
What do you feel you’ve learned most on the production side during this recording process that you’re going to carry on with you for the rest of your career?
That space is the most valuable part of any record. Having space on any record is probably the best advice anybody has given me. Simplicity in a record is what makes a record. That’s what I feel like I’m gonna carry on with this whole process. Simplicity and not making s–t too complex.
Also, no features on the project. Why did you go in that direction?
I just wanted to come out the gate, showing people I can do it myself and not with any features. I’m sure in 2025 it’s gonna be a fun year. With this project, I just wanted to keep it me.
I think it’s impressive that you just turned 21, but you have grown-man subject matter in your music. How were you able to get to that level of writing at such a young age?
You know what’s crazy? I don’t really base s–t on my experiences — I base it off other people talking to me, and I’ll grab some s–t from there and put it in a song. I’m 21. I’m young. So I haven’t really experienced a lot, rather than what a 28 or 30-year-old has. Hearing them talk about what they talk about, I’ll just take it and put it in a song. That’s how some of [my] s–t gets made.
