Kirko Bangz

Kirk Jerel Randle, born in Houston, Texas in 1989, is the rapper who records as Kirko Bangz, a name that playfully echoes Kurt Cobain's. He began rapping at fifteen, partly inspired by watching his mother carry the load as a single parent, and he studied communications at Prairie View A&M, where he could focus on music. Texas connections run through his catalogue, from the Houston roots of his early life to the producers and fellow Texas artists who appear across his mixtapes.

His breakthrough came with 'Drank in My Cup', released in September 2011, which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2012 before climbing to number 28 and topping the Hot Rap Songs chart. Remixes and freestyles from J. Cole, 2 Chainz, Tyga and Trey Songz followed, and the record earned platinum certification from the RIAA. Signings followed too: Warner Records, then Atlantic, then 300 Entertainment in 2015. A debut album, Bigger Than Me, has yet to appear, partly because much of his unreleased material remains with Warner Music Group. Meanwhile he toured The Trillest with Bun B in 2014, and his Progression series ran on to Progression 17 in 2017.