Kilo Kish
Kilo Kish | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lakisha Kimberly Robinson May 10, 1990 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, visual artist |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Known for | Music career including albums Reflections in Real Time and American Gurl |
Lakisha Kimberly Robinson (born May 10, 1990), who performs under the name Kilo Kish, is an American singer-songwriter and visual artist.
Early life
Originally from Orlando, Florida, Kish attended Glen Rock Elementary School in Bergen County, New Jersey before moving back to Orlando, where she completed her studies at Winter Park High School. At age 18, she was awarded a scholarship to attend Pratt Institute in New York. After taking a gap year during which she held various jobs, she graduated in 2012 from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in textile design.
Her entry into music began when her roommates Smash Simmons and Mell McCloud established a home studio known as "Kool Kats Klub." This environment led to collaborations with Matt Martians from the neo-soul group The Internet, including work on The Jet Age of Tomorrow's track "Want You Still" and The Internet's "Ode to a Dream."
2012: Homeschool
Kilo Kish debuted with her EP Homeschool, released on April 2, 2012. The project received positive reviews and was recognized by Complex as one of the top albums of that year. The production featured contributions from members of The Internet and Pyramid Vritra of The Jet Age of Tomorrow, who also provided guest vocals.
On July 31, she released the single "Watergun," produced by The Internet, through SoundCloud. Later, on September 17, the track "Navy" was issued via The Blue Rider label, accompanied by a remix from MeLo-X. That same day, the music video for "Navy," co-directed by Kish and Ben Rayner, premiered on The Fader.
2013: K+
On February 7, 2013, Kish made available her mixtape K+ as a free download. This project included collaborations with artists such as Childish Gambino, Star Slinger, SBTRKT, A$AP Ferg of A$AP Mob, Earl Sweatshirt, and Matt Martians affiliated with OFWGKTA. In December of that year, she expanded on the mixtape by releasing K+ THE BOOK, a digital art zine providing behind-the-scenes insights.
2014–2015: Across
Her sophomore EP, Across, was launched on July 8, 2014, through a partnership with fashion label and record company Maison Kitsune. This was followed by the release of Across Remixes in 2015.
2016: Reflections in Real Time
Kish’s first full-length studio album, Reflections in Real Time, came out on February 29, 2016. The song "Taking Responsibility" from this album gained additional attention after being featured on HBO's series Euphoria.
2017
In 2017, Kish lent her vocals to the track "Out of Body" found on the deluxe edition of the Gorillaz album Humanz. She also appeared extensively on Vince Staples' album Big Fish Theory.
2018: Mothe
On August 26, 2018, Kish unveiled the single "Elegance," which received critical acclaim including being named "Best New Track" by Pitchfork and considered a highlight of her work. Her EP mothe followed shortly after its release on September 7, 2018. On July 29, 2019, an alternate cover image photographed by Andrew Arthur replaced the original artwork across digital outlets.
2019: Redux
Between October and November 2019, Kish released three singles—"Bite Me," "Nice Out," and "Spark"—each accompanied by its own music video. These songs were later compiled into the EP Redux, which was released on December 6, 2019. Kish described this collection as a "sister project" to her previous EP Mothe, focusing on themes of resilience and marking her fourth collaboration with producer Ray Brady.
2021–2022: American Gurl
On July 23, 2021, Kish unveiled "American Gurl," the first single from her album sharing the same title, accompanied by a music video co-directed by Kish herself alongside Matt Cowen. This was succeeded by the release of "Bloody Future" on August 20, 2021. Subsequently, on January 28, 2022, she introduced "New Tricks: Art, Aesthetics, and Money," a joint effort with Vince Staples that reflects on the complexities of the music industry and the interplay between artistic expression and commercial interests. The complete album was made available on March 25, 2022, comprising 14 tracks and featuring collaborations with Miguel, Jean Dawson, Vince Staples, and Jesse Boykins III.
Studio albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Reflections in Real Time |
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| American Gurl |
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Mixtapes
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| K+ |
|
EPs
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat. | ||
| Homeschool |
|
— |
| Across |
|
44 |
| Across Remixes |
|
— |
| Mothe |
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— |
| Redux |
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— |
| Negotiations |
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| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were unavailable in that region. | ||
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Watergun" | 2012 | Homeschool |
| "Navy" | ||
| "Begin Route" | 2014 | Across |
| "Locket" | ||
| "Existential Crisis Hour" | 2016 | Reflections in Real Time |
| "Obsessing" | 2017 | |
| "Fulfillment" | ||
| "Self Importance" | ||
| "Elegance" | 2018 | Mothe |
| "Void" | ||
| "Like Honey" | 2019 | |
| "Bite Me" | Redux | |
| "Nice Out" | ||
| "Spark" | ||
| "American Gurl" | 2021 | American Gurl |
| "Bloody Future" | ||
| "New Tricks: Art, Aesthetics, and Money" (featuring Vince Staples) |
2022 | |
| "No Apology!" | ||
| "Death Fantasy" (featuring Miguel) | ||
| "Reprogram" | 2025 | Negotiations |
| "Digital Emotional" | ||
| "Negotiate" (featuring Miguel) | ||
| "Enough" |
Music videos
| Music Video | Year | Director(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Navy" | 2012 | Ben Rayner & Kish Robinson | Homeschool |
| "Begin Route" | 2014 | Phillip T. Annand & Kish Robinson | Across |
| "Locket" | |||
| "Existential Crisis Hour" | 2016 | Kish Robinson, Brian Mitchell & Burke Doreen | Reflections in Real Time |
| "Hello, Lakisha" | Yong oh Kim & Kish Robinson | ||
| "Obsessing" | 2017 | Elliot Sellers & Kish Robinson | |
| "Fulfillment" | Kish Robinson | ||
| "Elegance" | 2018 | Mothe | |
| "Void" | Elliot Sellers & Kish Robinson | ||
| "Like Honey" | 2019 | Kish Robinson | |
| "Bite Me" | Redux | ||
| "Nice Out" | |||
| "Spark" | |||
| "American Gurl" | 2021 | Kish Robinson & Matt Cowen | American Gurl |
| "Bloody Future" | Kish Robinson | ||
| "Death Fantasy" | 2022 | Dave Laven & Kilo Kish | |
| "TV Baby V.2 (Latch Key March)" | |||
| "Reprogram" | 2025 | Negotiations |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Want You Still" | 2010 | The Jet Age of Tomorrow | Journey to the 5th Echelon |
| "Ode to a Dream" | 2011 | The Internet, Coco O. | Purple Naked Ladies |
| "Phat Wemin" | Vince Staples | Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1 | |
| "Make It Go Right" | 2012 | Childish Gambino | Royalty |
| "JupiterSound" | Flatbush Zombies | D.R.U.G.S | |
| "Not So Scary" | 2013 | The Jet Age of Tomorrow | JellyFish Mentality |
| "II. Zealots of Stockholm (Free Information)" | Childish Gambino | Because the Internet | |
| "Melt" | 2014 | Chet Faker | Built on Glass |
| "Gripp" | George Maple | Vacant Space | |
| "Follow" | 2015 | Étienne de Crécy | Super Discount 3 |
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Dopeman" |
Vince Staples, Joey Fatts |
||
| "Surf" |
Vince Staples |
||
| "Jaco (Big Dope J Remix)" |
Nick Hook, Todd Edwards |
Collage v.1 Remixes | |
| "The Beginning" |
Curate | ||
| "Loco" |
2016 |
Vince Staples |
|
| "Out of Body" |
rowspan=6 2017 |
Gorillaz, Zebra Katz, Imani Vonshà |
|
| "Crabs in a Bucket" |
Vince Staples, Justin Vernon |
rowspan=5 Big Fish Theory | |
| "Love Can Be..." |
Vince Staples, Damon Albarn, Ray J |
||
| "Ramona Park is Yankee Stadium" |
rowspan=2 Vince Staples |
||
| "Homage" | |||
| "Samo" |
rowspan=2 Vince Staples, ASAP Rocky |
External links
- SoundCloud profile
- Kilo Kish artist page on Discogs
- 1990 births
- Living people
- Singers originating from Orlando, Florida
- American hip-hop vocalists
- Artists signed to Kitsuné Musique
- Rappers based in Brooklyn
- Alumni of Winter Park High School
- 21st-century American vocalists
- 21st-century American female singers
- Brooklyn musicians
- Female American hip-hop artists
- Fashion Institute of Technology graduates
- Kitsuné Musique artists