Judging from her latest project, Little Rock-born Kari Faux (née Kari Rose Johnson) clearly is going through some changes. Her recently-released EP “Cry 4 Help,” fittingly released on International Women’s Day, is less about a call for an assistance as its title implies and more about facing down the truth by shining a light on traumatic events and heartbreak in an effort to shut some doors, leave the past in the past and begin the process of creating a sounder foundation going forward.
Part of shedding demons means that at age 26, Kari has begun to own the power of her unique voice and sound (once described by Kari as “alternative rap”), one whose complex yet straightforward appeal has made it the perfect muse for Issa Rae’s “Insecure,” a hit series that has featured six (!) of her singles over the course of two seasons.
In part one of a two-part interview, Cari lays down her musical foundation (Brittney Spears and Jay-Z), growing up in Little Rock and her transition from producer to producer/rapper.
Check out our interview with Kari along with an editorial below. Images were styled by Samia Grand Pierre and shot by Mauricio Jorquera on location at the James Nomad Hotel and The Seville.
