Kota the Friend

KOTA The Friend is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He got his stage name from the Disney movie Brother Bear and is actually a Native American word, “Koda,” meaning friend.

Kota most recently released his No Rap on Sunday album, which include singles featuring Big Sean and Fivio Foreign. Kota has also released a number of albums and EPs. In 2024, he released Once in a Blue Moon, an album collaboration with Statik Selektah, and in the same year he released Lyrics to Go 5, the 5th installment of his popular Lyrics to Go series.

Kota is a trained musician as well. He started playing the trumpet in the 4th grade, in a Brooklyn public school. He was able to get accepted into music programs in middle school, high school, and college, as a trumpet player. After Kota left college, he started his music career as a writer and performer. Kota the Friend released his debut mixtape, Palm Tree Liquor in 2016, followed by his second mixtape Paloma Beach in 2017.

Kota has remained 100% independent throughout his career—turning down 3 major record labels; instead, creating his own label and apparel brand, FLTBYS (Flight Boys). He frequently cites a do-it-yourself mentality, such as filming his own music videos, recording within a home setup, and producing most of his discography. His mentality was fueled by a desire for freedom and to avoid the sense of musical confinement.

Kota’s music has been featured in movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming platforms.