TL;DR: The Kid LAROI is the 21-year-old Australian face of "Emo Rap." If your teen is listening to him, they’re soaking in themes of heartbreak, mental health struggles, and the "sad boy" aesthetic. While he’s more accessible than some of his predecessors, his lyrics frequently feature profanity and references to substance use as a coping mechanism. He’s essentially the bridge between the Disney-pop era and the raw, unfiltered world of Soundcloud rap.
Quick Links for the "LAROI" Starter Pack:
- The Kid LAROI on YouTube – Where the music videos (and the vibes) live.
- Stay (feat. Justin Bieber) – The gateway drug to his discography.
- Kids Are Growing Up (Documentary) – A raw look at his rise to fame on Amazon Prime.
- Spotify – Likely where your kid is looping his albums.
If you’ve spent any time in a car with a teenager in the last three years, you’ve heard Charlton Howard—better known as The Kid LAROI. Originally from Waterloo, Sydney, he’s gone from a kid living in public housing to a global superstar who collaborates with Justin Bieber and headlines Fortnite concerts.
He was the protégé of the late Juice WRLD, a massive figure in the "Emo Rap" scene who died of an accidental overdose in 2019. This connection is vital because LAROI inherited Juice’s fanbase and his penchant for "confessional" songwriting.
LAROI’s music is a blend of melodic rap and pop-punk. It’s catchy, it’s high-energy, and it’s deeply, deeply emotional. He’s the guy kids turn to when they’ve had their first "situationship" end or when the pressure of being a teenager in 2025 feels like too much.
It’s easy to dismiss LAROI as just another "sad boy" with curly hair, but his grip on Gen Z and Gen Alpha is calculated and effective.
- The TikTok Factor: Songs like "Stay" and "Without You" didn't just top the charts; they became the soundtracks to millions of TikTok trends. Whether it’s a dance challenge or a "POV" video about being lonely, LAROI’s voice is the literal background noise of their digital lives.
- The Fortnite Concert: In early 2023, LAROI had his own "Wild Dreams" island in Fortnite. This wasn't just a concert; it was an interactive narrative experience. For a 12-year-old, seeing an artist inside their favorite game makes that artist feel like a "friend" in their ecosystem.
- Relatability: He sings about things parents might find trivial but feel like life-or-death to a 15-year-old: being ghosted, feeling like a disappointment, and the anxiety of "growing up too fast."
You might hear the term "Emo Rap" and worry it’s all about glorifying depression. In reality, it’s more of a modern-day outlet for teen angst.
LAROI’s music often touches on:
- Heartbreak: This is his bread and butter. If your kid is going through a breakup, they are 100% listening to Fck Love*.
- Substance Use: This is where we need to be real. LAROI frequently mentions "pills," "drinking to forget," and "smoking." Unlike some rappers who brag about drug use as a lifestyle, LAROI usually frames it as a (destructive) way to numb emotional pain. It’s less "let’s party" and more "I’m hurting and I don’t know how to stop."
- Mental Health: He is very open about his struggles with anxiety and the trauma of losing his mentor, Juice WRLD.
While some critics call this "brain rot" because of the repetitive beats and simple lyrics, for many kids, it’s a form of emotional validation. They see a guy who is rich and famous but still feels "mid" or "trash" inside, and it makes them feel less alone.
Let’s pull no punches: If you’re looking for "Clean" versions, you’ll find them, but the standard versions of his songs are peppered with F-bombs.
The title tells you everything you need to know. It’s an exploration of toxic relationships. It’s raw, it’s vulgar in places, and it’s very honest about the messiness of teenage romance.
- Age Appropriateness: 13+ (with a conversation about healthy relationships).
This is his most famous track. It’s upbeat and catchy, but the lyrics are actually about a toxic cycle of begging someone to stay even though you’re "messed up." It’s a great example of how a "bop" can hide some pretty heavy themes.
This is actually one of his more mature pieces of work. He reflects on how he wished he’d stayed a kid longer and how fame isn’t what he thought it would be. It’s a rare moment of self-awareness that’s worth discussing with your teen.
Check out our guide on how to talk to teens about song lyrics
The Kid LAROI himself isn't "dangerous," but the rabbit hole he represents can be.
- The Algorithm: If your kid starts following LAROI on Instagram or TikTok, the algorithm will quickly serve them more "Sad Boy" content. This can sometimes lead to a "doom-scrolling" cycle of depressive memes and edits.
- The Juice WRLD Connection: LAROI is the "cleaner" version of Juice WRLD. If your kid gets deep into LAROI, they will inevitably find Juice WRLD, whose music is much more explicit regarding drug use (specifically Percocet and "lean").
- Community Data: In our recent Screenwise community surveys, about 55% of parents of 8th graders reported their kids listen to LAROI, often without realizing the lyrical content until they heard it over the car speakers.
Don't go in and say, "I heard this young man is very sad." You’ll get an eye-roll that could power a small city.
Instead, try these angles:
- The "Stay" Hook: "I actually like the beat on this one, but do you think the guy in the song is actually happy, or is he just desperate?"
- The Fame Game: After watching a few minutes of his YouTube videos, ask: "He seems like he has everything, but he sings a lot about being lonely. Why do you think that is?"
- The Coping Mechanism: If a song mentions drinking or pills because of a breakup, ask: "Do you think that actually helps him, or does it just make the next day worse?"
The Kid LAROI is the definitive sound of the current "teen experience." He’s not "evil," and he’s certainly not "brain rot" in the way some mindless YouTube shorts are. He is an artist expressing genuine (if sometimes immature) emotions.
Our advice?
- Ages 10-12: Stick to the "Clean" versions on Spotify. The beats are great, and they don't need the F-bombs yet.
- Ages 13+: Let them listen, but use it as a springboard to talk about mental health and the reality of fame.
If your kid is obsessed with LAROI, they are likely looking for a way to process their own growing pains. As long as you’re keeping an eye on the rest of their playlist (looking at you, Playboi Carti), LAROI is a relatively safe way for them to explore the "emo" side of life.