Hot Karl, born Jensen-Gerard Karp (25), grew up in Calabasas, CA a secluded suburb only a few miles away from the Malibu beaches. He listened to N.W.A. and Slick Rick, never relating to their subject matter or lifestyle, but loving the art form. It wasn't long before Karl began writing his own lyrics, hiding it from his well-to-do neighbors who still looked down on rap music and its possibilities.

Hot Karl The freestyle champion

Karl continued to write lyrics, enter battles and freestyle at USC, creating the Hot Karl persona. This is when Karl decided to call into KKBT “The Beat” 100.3FM Los Angeles radio show to rap on the Roll Call competition, where he lasted a record 44 days on air to become the all-time champion and create a massive buzz in LA. As managers and labels began to call, Karl weighed out his options from the firestorm of interest and eventually signed with Interscope Records, where he created what was to be his debut CD.

That series of recordings, entitled Your Housekeeper Hates You, included guest appearances by Redman, Fabulous, DJ Quik, Kanye West, Mya, Sugar Ray and DJ Clue. Once Interscope informed Karl that his CD could not be commercially released due to “scheduling conflicts” and alleged complaints from a white rapper on the label, Karl asked for his immediate release, hoping to return to being himself and stay away from the corporate side of the music industry that he slowly began to hate. Karl admits, “I let the pressure of working with a major label affect where my music was going. Once you start writing lyrics, thinking about what a person in marketing is going think about it, you know you’re not only in the wrong place, but making the wrong music for the wrong reasons.”

Hot Karl Just being himself

Fast forward to two years since leaving Interscope Records, we find Hot Karl preparing for the Spring 2005 release of his debut album, The Great Escape. Karl has succeeded in creatively combining his upbringing in the affluent suburbs of Los Angeles with the rap music he grew up listening to. It is important to note that while Karl draws influence from rap music, The Great Escape is a pop album that was built on the postmodern concept of appropriation. Karl has taken the witty wordplay, social commentary, humor, and irony of rap music and interpreted it in the context of the suburbs. Both musically and lyrically Karl serves as an example for suburban America, no longer do you need to act like something you’re not in order to appreciate Hip-Hop as a culture. In fact just being yourself is truly “keeping it real” As Karl says, "I'm only going to speak about things I know,"

Whether reminiscing about the late 80’s on “Kerk Gybson,” detailing the grotesque and surreal lifestyles from his upbringing on “Home Sweet Home” or creating a metaphor for his own struggle while at Interscope Records, told through the eyes of a struggling actress’s distorted reality on “Just Like Me & You” and “Dreamin’,” Karl has proven his unique and unheard voice is here to stay. The Great Escape features guest appearances by MC Serch (3rd Bass), Reggie Watts (Maktub) and Ali Abnormal, as well as production from 9th Wonder, She Wants Revenge (Justin Warfield & Adam 12), Ali Dee, Mayru and Jamey Staub.

Hot Karl The voice of suburban America

The voice of suburban America, Hot Karl introduces his unique upbringing and signature humor through music. It's time to acknowledge the magnitude of rap music’s influence, by giving a chance to some unlikely voices.