KOTA The Friend at Irving Plaza

Kota the Friend is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His real name is Avery Marcel Joshua Jones. He first appeared on the music world in 2016, with his well-received debut EP, Palm Tree Liquor, which received praise from industry heavyweights including as Billboard, XXL, RESPECT. Mag, and others. Around the same time, the multihyphenate began to achieve popularity with his "Lyrics to GO" series, gaining a devoted following for his subtitled rap videos.

FOTO, his groundbreaking debut album, has a soulful texture and was named "one of the best hip-hop albums of 2019" by Rolling Stone. In 2020, the Brooklyn MC was riding high on the success of his critically acclaimed sophomore LP, EVERYTHING, which arrived during the pandemic's isolating lockdown. The album went on to debut at No. 1 on the iTunes Hip-hop Chart, reach No. 4 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums Chart, and earn Kota his first Billboard 200 entry. The following year was no exception, with a presidential cosign spearheading Kota's quest for glory. "Lupita's Interlude," one of his songs, was the first song on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' inaugural playlist, which was curated by Emmy Award- winning actress Issa Rae.

Since his debut in the music scene, he has stayed firm on his ground as an independent artist - rejecting record labels left and right. He has equipped himself with a fiercely DIY ethos and a small crew. He is involved in everything from designing fliers to fielding fan requests for concert tickets. “I do every part of my career. I know what works,” he told Billboard in an interview. “It doesn’t make sense to sign to a label when I have people around me. We are the label.”

His most recent release, PROTEA, has made waves in the hip-hop scene and received high praises. Uproxx dubbed the album as, “a break from the routines, it’s the splash of sunshine cascading through the window to remind us that there is more beyond the office, the struggle, the anxiety and depression of our modern times.” The album showcases Kota the Friend’s chill vibes and honest lyrics, the usual themes of his music.