Florida rapper Kodak Black honored with city key to Pompano Beach for community contributions | FOX 35 Orlando

Florida rapper Kodak Black honored with city key to Pompano Beach for community contributions

Bill Kapri, best known as Grammy-nominated rapper Kodak Black, was gifted the key to his home city of Pompano Beach on Tuesday during a city commission meeting. 

"Thank you, Kodak, for your commitment to the people of Pompano Beach"

What we know:

On Tuesday, Pompano Beach Mayor Rex Hardin honored the Florida-grown rapper with a key to the city, a thank you for Kodak's "outstanding generosity and lasting impact on the community."

During Mayor Hardin's speech he listed a number of ways Kodak has impacted the community in a positive way, including, providing A/C units to families in need during some of the hottest months of the year, delivering hundreds of turkeys during the holidays, giving Christmas presents to children in need, and paying the rent of 200 struggling families in the city.

Pompano Beach Mayor Rex Hardin | Kodak Black | Pompano Beach City Manager Gregory P. Harrison | CREDIT: Instagram @cityofpompanobeach

"On behalf of the City of Pompano Beach, I present you with this key to the city as a symbol of our appreciation and recognition for your unwavering commitment to this community," Mayor Hardin stated. 

During his acceptance, with a gold-filled smile, the No Flockin rapper said, "I swear to god this is not what I do anything for. Please, I don't want the spotlight…but they gave it to me."

Pompano Beach Mayor Rex Hardin | Kodak's mom, Marcelene Octave | Kodak Black | Pompano Beach City Manager Gregory P. Harrison | CREDIT: Instagram @cityofpompanobeach

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS

Who is Kodak Black?

The backstory:

28-year-old Kodak was born Dieuson Octave in Pompano Beach on June 11, 1997. He was raised by his mother, Marcelene Octave, who emigrated from Haiti. He grew up in the Golden Acres neighborhood, a public housing project in Pompano Beach.

He is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter who first rose to prominence in 2014 with the release of his breakout tracks "No Flockin" and "Skrt." The success of those songs ultimately led to him signing a recording deal with Atlantic Records.

Rapper Kodak Black is all smiles during his sentencing hearing in connection with a violation of his house arrest, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday, May 4, 2017. He received a sentence of 364 days in jail, but could be released as early as June.

Kodak Black's history with the law

Dig deeper:

Kodak has faced numerous arrests over the years spanning a wide range of charges. Below is a timeline summarizing his most notable arrests by month, year, and the primary charges involved.

  • October 2015 – Robbery, battery, false imprisonment of a child, marijuana possession
  • April 2016 – Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fleeing police, marijuana possession
  • May 2016 – Open warrants: armed robbery, false imprisonment, marijuana possession, and a South Carolina criminal sexual conduct case
  • August 2016 – Sentenced after pleading no contest to multiple charges, including robbery-related offenses
  • September 2016 – Marijuana possession (misdemeanor); sentenced to 120 days in jail
  • November 2016 – Sexual battery (South Carolina case)
  • February 2017 – Violation of house arrest; additional alleged battery on a Miami bartender
  • April 2017 – Violations of house arrest terms (probation violations)
  • January 2018 – Child neglect, grand theft of a firearm, firearm possession by a felon, marijuana possession
  • April 2019 – Criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana at the U.S.–Canada border
  • May 2019 – Federal charges: making false statements on a firearm purchase form
  • March 2020 – Firearm possession charge related to 2019 border arrest
  • January 2022 – Trespassing
  • July 2022 – Oxycodone trafficking, possession of a controlled substance
  • December 2023 – Cocaine possession, evidence tampering, probation violation

In February 2024, Kodak Black was released from federal custody after a Miami judge sentenced him to time served for a probation violation stemming from his December 2023 arrest. With the sentence fulfilled, he was released and is now a free man. He has not had any prominent run-ins with the law since then.  

The Source: The information in this article comes from the City Commission of Pompano Beach Floirda, the City of Pompano Beach's Instagram account @cityofpompanobeach, and the Broward County Clerk of Courts.  

FloridaNewsEntertainmentInstastories