Karri Is Building an R&B Universe You’ll Want to Get Lost In

When Karri sings about late-night drives and fleeting romances, it feels like you're riding shotgun in his world. His sound—hypnotic, moody, and cinematic—has quietly become one of the most captivating new forces in R&B.

But don't be fooled by the soft touch; Karri isn't just making music for rainy evenings and after-hours heartbreaks. He's building something much deeper: a universe rooted in his Bay Area upbringing, Filipino heritage, and relentless grind.

Karri's music doesn't just echo through speakers; it lingers, like smoke in the air or a memory at 3 a.m. With his soulful blend of atmospheric production and emotionally raw lyrics, Karri is stepping into the spotlight with more confidence than ever. Still, he knows exactly how far he's come.

"People think it happened fast because of the co-signs, the internet buzz," he tells Bleu Magazine. "But to me, it's been a grind. I've been making music since I was 17."

Karri's early music education came not from school but from his mom, who made him take piano lessons, which he hated. However, it soon became the foundation of the artist Karri is today.

"All I wanted to do was play basketball," Karri tells Bleu. "But I'm glad she made me stick with it because now I can sit at the piano and write whole songs."

Karri credits Drake, Bryson Tiller, and Alicia Keys as major influences, not just sonically but emotionally. "Drake and Tiller really made me realize you could be vulnerable and still make it sound cool. That was a game-changer for me."

His latest single, "Slauson Ave," captures that balance of mood and meaning. Over ethereal keys and muted percussion, Karri flips the script on a street known for gang culture and West Coast bravado.

"I just wanted to paint a picture of Slauson in a different way," he says. "People know it from Nipsey [Hussle] and the blue rags, but I wanted to attribute that blue to a girl's eyes—express that street through emotion and softness."

That kind of intimate storytelling has become Karri's calling card. But the breakout moment came with "3 AM in Oakland," a slow-burning anthem that found its way into millions of ears after he posted snippets on social media.

"It was just like a random song I was making in the studio, and we all thought it was really dope," he recalls. "The name came about when we were in the studio in Oakland late at night. I had no idea what to call the song, so I just called it '3 AM in Oakland.'"

The song spread like wildfire thanks to Karri love of sharing snippets and things got so big that Drake sent him a DM telling him the song was out of this world and he needed to drop it immediately.

"I was playing Fortnite and then I just see 'Champagne Papi' saying the version of '3 AM' is going crazy and the world needs it," he recalls. "I thought it was fake. I ran out the house. Called everyone I knew. It was wild."

That moment confirmed what his fans already knew: Karri's music had staying power. Tracks like "Only You" and "Impromptu" cemented his reputation for slow, sultry R&B that's perfect for late nights and long drives. His EP Late Nite Slider Music built on that momentum even more, and now, he's preparing to flip the script again.

"This next chapter—it's very alternative R&B," Karri teases. "People are going to be surprised. There are features on there that I'm super excited about."

Speaking of features, Karri dropped "Oakland, Baby," a new joint track with Isaiah Falls, with whom he's currently on tour. The two have an electric chemistry in the studio that translates to the work they create.

"We came up with that song in LA one night, and we didn't know what to call it," says Karri. "We decided to call it 'Oakland Baby' and it definitely caught the right attention. I'm excited to keep pushing this record with him.

He added, "We just bounce ideas back and forth in the studio all the time. I feel like me and Zay work very similarly, so it's just so easy for us to work in the studio together. It's just easy, we have a lot of chemistry in the studio, that's my brother for real."

Karri's not stopping there with the features, though. A new club-ready track with Kehlani, sampling the Bay classic "Tell Me When To Go," is on the way.

"She's like my big sister, and she shows love in any way she can [...] We got E-40's blessing, and we're definitely excited to put that one out. It's gonna turn shit up. We've been testing it out like i've been just having the homies play it in the clubs and like every time people just go nuts," he confirms.

That confidence Karri has in his craft and music isn't unfounded. With songs like "3 AM in Oakland," he has already proven his ability to blend late-night ambience with raw vulnerability, and it's time to do it again with this new chapter he's on. And looking at how he makes music is a notice that he can recreate the magic.

"I just feel like music just flows with my life, everywhere I go, it's just music," says Karri. "I'm also big on like, quality over quantity, too. I spend days and weeks on songs. I make a lot of music, but for the songs I want to push, I focus on the quality rather than just wanting to put it out. That's why it takes a long time for me to put music out sometimes because I want to master it."

That desire to master his craft is what sets Karri apart. He's not rushing to flood the timeline, but rather playing the long game, building a catalog that lasts and one that keeps evolving. It's been working too, as he's earned a coveted Billboard R&B Rookie of the Month title, a performance slot at London's beloved Wireless Festival, and the artist formerly known as Kanye West sampling his music.

If his trajectory continues, Karri won't just be a name to watch. He'll be a name to remember.