Kaliii

Georgia-born rapper Kaliii, who first recorded under the name Kali, projects assurance, defiance, sexuality, and authority across her measured, melody-driven records. The track “Do a Bitch,” taken from her 2021 debut mixtape This Why They Mad Now, marked an initial breakthrough, and a subsequent remix featuring Rico Nasty further expanded its reach. Latto, Yung Bleu, BIA, and additional guests appeared on her 2022 mixtape Toxic Chocolate, while the lean, forceful “Area Codes” climbed into the Top 40 the following year. She joined K-pop act Fifty Fifty on the 2023 single “Barbie Dreams” ahead of issuing the EP FCK GIRL SZN, then unveiled the song “BOZO” in 2024.

Kaliya Ashley Ross had already begun rapping by age twelve, spurred into music when her beat-making stepfather offered her a private room if she completed an album’s worth of material within thirty days. That enthusiasm continued through her teenage years as she crafted her own songs and videos while balancing academics, early jobs, and athletics. She tried out for the Netflix series Rhythm + Flow yet was not selected for the final roster; fellow contestant KenTheMan encouraged her to persist independently, prompting the 2019 self-release of her first official single, “Mami.” The 2021 arrival of “Do a Bitch” quickly became one of her strongest-performing releases to date, coinciding with the launch of This Why They Mad Now; several remixes followed, adding verses from Rico Nasty, Saucy Santana, and Enchanting. Before the year closed she dropped “MMM MMM” with ATL Jacob, which accumulated tens of millions of streams.

Toxic Chocolate surfaced in 2022 and spotlighted the BIA-assisted cut “Eat It Up.” Early in 2023 Kali issued “Area Codes,” built on an interpolation of Ludacris’s similarly titled hit, and the song surged into the Top 40 once it spread virally on TikTok. The track was included on Toxic Chocolate: Area Codes Edition, prompting her to adopt the expanded spelling Kaliii. She contributed to “Barbie Dreams,” recorded by South Korean girl group Fifty Fifty for the Barbie: The Album soundtrack, then teamed with DJ Smallz 732 on “K Toven,” whose remix with NLE Choppa later appeared on the EP FCK GIRL SZN. Kaliii released “BOZO” in early 2024.