When Nas recently preached that "Hip-Hop Is Dead," Los Angeles rapper Hot Karl, born Jensen-Gerard Karp, took his place quietly on the choir and smiled from ear to ear. Karl, who started rapping at age 12 in rap group X-Tra Large, a duo once managed by Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate, has taken a rather bumpy road through the music industry, a path he's not so sad to find an exit on. "I can only take so much, watching an artform that once stood for individuality and unique expression, now forcing every MC to employ a formula of 'Coke sales + shiny rims x weird dance move = platinum. At this point, it's like watching a family member be beaten to death."
And Karl knows how to beat a rapper to death...figuratively. Crowned the all-time Roll Call Champion by an LA radio station, the witty rhyming Karl competed, and was victorious, for a record 45 days battling aspiring rappers, two at a time. When Karl finally decided to retire from the radio contest himself, he was greeted with numerous record deal offers, including one in the form of $50,000 cash from LA staple, Mack 10 and Hoo-Bangin' Records (Mack 10 has since admitted, "That wasn't gonna be all, that's just all I had on me at the time. Cause I roll like that.") Once the dust settled, the rapper was able to graduate Cum Laude from USC, while producing the demo with House of Pain's DJ Lethal in 2001 that would immediately get him signed to industry powerhouse Interscope Records for over half a million dollars. Over the next two years Karl would record dozens of songs with some of the biggest names in music including Kanye West, DJ Clue, Fabolous, Redman, Mark McGrath, Mya and MC Serch. But when push came to shove, Interscope Records decided to shelve the album due to reasons never fully explained.
After a deal with EMI Publishing and "The Great Escape" on Headless Heroes, an independent CD that allowed Karl to finally release a vision of his own, Hot Karl finds himself disenchanted by both the politics and product that is now rap music. Taking the money he made during his stint writing for pop acts such as Thalia, O-Town and Valeria, Karl opened Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles, a critically acclaimed art gallery on Melrose Ave. that showcases emerging and affordable artists, three years ago. Covered by almost 100 major media outlets, including CNN, Playboy Magazine, FHM, The Washington Post, the LA Times and Spike TV, the gallery has grown into an incredible success, helping break artists like Greg "Craola" Simkins and Matt Dangler, and spawning a second location in San Francisco. In addition to the galleries, Jensen (which is now a name that doesn't make him wince), will be releasing his first book, "Just Can't Get Enough," co-written with Matty Boom, his former Hot Karl hype man, in October of 2007 through Abrams. With a reality TV competition that he created currently in development, and a script he wrote with the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am making the rounds, Jensen just seems happier writing and envisioning outside of the now uninspiring and confining world of hip-hop, rather than just becoming another lemming inside it.
Influences
RUN DMC, 3rd Bass, Woody Allen, Muhammad Ali, the Beastie Boys, Steve Martin, Chino XL, David Lynch, Slick Rick, Lionel Richie, Rick Rubin, Matt Groening, RA the Rugged Man (Crustified Dibbs), The Coen Brothers, The Gravediggaz, Charlie Kaufman, Prince Paul, Larry David, Mike Tyson, The Fat Boys, Andy Kaufman, Grand Puba, David Lee Roth, Natalie Portman, Big Daddy Kane, Terry Zwigoff, Fresh Prince, Frank Sinatra, Kool Moe Dee, Bill Murray, Stevie Wonder, Notorious B.I.G., Spike Jonze, Cyndi Lauper, Camp Lo, Michael Moore, Prince, Rakim, Alfred Hitchcock, the Wu-Tang Clan and Eazy-E.
Available Sept. 4th! Jensen Karp (formerly Hot Karl) and Matthew Robinson's (formely Matty Boom) "Just Can't Get Enough," will be available from Abrams at bookstores everywhere! I promise, if you've ever though t Hot Karl or the Trilambs were funny, you will for sure laugh at our book. It;s got great essays from us and vivid pics of toys and products you totally forgot about in the 80's. It will also hit Urban Outiftters in November, if you do that kind of thing. Please pick this puppy up, you won't be mad about it.
Hot Kizzle u retiring from rap?! No!!!!!! U have to come out with more cds. i got both ur "I like to read" and "The Great Escape" cds. u gotta give me something else to listen too. i dont wanna "crank dat soldier boy" and i dont have enough money to "make it rain" on em. Please hit me back me sure im not reading that right.
Just wanted to point out that I'm not gloating over the fact that the Phillies finished over the Mets. Oh wait. I think I just did. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all. Sorry. Miss you dude.
Karlito, you gotta make all the stuff that you used to be available on HotKarl. com available again to the people who really wanna hear it. I wouldn't even be opposed to paying for it.
Its was a sad day for Hip Hop when you and yours decided to call it a day.. Its a shame more people in the UK didnt get to be bless with your tunes, the people I've played your stuff too have really enjoyed it.
i loved the last show; glad you put it up for us people who were too far away too watch!!!!!! However it says your show was 11:19:07? aint that in like 2 weeks, lol? Love the music and hope to get to the gallery someday!?!
will's right, i'm sure you still have a love for the music that you've been doing for fun all your life, and with all the "friends" you have we would all love a lil taste every once in a while?
