The Kid Laroi vows put the Sydney rap scene on the map ‘the way Drake did with Toronto’

He made history as the youngest solo artist to top the Australian album charts.

And The Kid Laroi is now on a mission to showcase his home country’s rap scene to the world.

‘I don’t think America is completely switched on to how big [and] great the Australian music scene and culture is, but I think that’s kind of my job to shed light,’ the 17-year-old rapper told Triple J on Monday.

The Waterloo-born star said he’s long dreamed of putting Sydney’s rap scene on the map ‘the way Drake did with Toronto’.

Born in Canada, rapper Drake often gushes about his home city of Toronto in his music, and even boasts a number of Toronto-themed tattoos. 

Laroi continued: ‘You have to do it in a way where people get it and really see it for what it really is; how great the scene really is.’

Repping his hometown: The Waterloo-born star said he’s long dreamed of putting Sydney’s rap scene on the map ‘the way Drake (pictured) did with Toronto’

Proud: Laroi insisted he wants people to ‘recognise Australia is the f**king future of music’ 

‘That’s the most important thing – I don’t want people to overlook it or think because it’s my country, I really want people to recognise Australia is the f**king future of music, in my opinion.’

Laroi’s rise to fame is truly a tale of rags to riches.

The talented artist grew up in relative poverty, spending his formative years in a housing commission block in Waterloo and couch surfing with his mother.

Rags to riches: Born in Waterloo, Sydney, Laroi grew up in relative poverty, spending his formative years in a housing commission block and couch surfing with his mother

Beginnings: He began rapping at the age of 13, predominantly as an outlet to process his family struggles and the death of his uncle two years earlier. Laroi is pictured as a child

He began rapping at the age of 13, predominantly as an outlet to process his family struggles and the death of his uncle two years earlier.  

He achieved modest success as a finalist in Australian radio station Triple J’s Unearthed High competition, but his real breakthrough came when he was signed as international rap sensation Juice Wrld’s labelmate at Grade A Productions in 2019.

The duo quickly became close, with Laroi even referring to Juice Wrld as his ‘big brother’ after being selected to support him on the Sydney and Melbourne legs of his Australian tour in November 2019.

Fate took a cruel turn and just weeks later on December 8, Juice Wrld died at the age of 21, after suffering a reported seizure at Chicago Midway International Airport. 

Rise to fame: He achieved modest success as a finalist in Australian radio station Triple J’s Unearthed High competition, but his real breakthrough came when he was signed as international rap sensation Juice Wrld’s labelmate at Grade A Productions in 2019

Mentor: In 2019, he opened shows in Sydney and Melbourne for late rapper Juice WRLD (pictured in August 2018), and was later signed by Juice’s managers, Grade A Productions

Prior to his death, Juice Wrld recorded a verse for GO, the lead single on Laroi’s debut mixtape, knowing full well it would rocket the teen to fame overnight.

It did just that upon its release in June 2020, and in the blink of an eye the talented underdog from Waterloo had a single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 – topping megastar Justin Bieber that he’s been compared to – a feat many artists can only ever dream of achieving.

He went on to become the youngest Australian to have a number one album on the ARIA charts with the release of F*ck Love (Savage) in July 2020. 

Love: The Kid Laroi (pictured with girlfriend Katarina Deme) is the 77th most popular artist in the world on Spotify, with 27 million listeners