Entertainment Post Contributor

October 7, 2025

By: Peter Lachaine

Kossisko Konan has lived many lives. Raised in Berkeley, California, and shaped by time spent in Côte d’Ivoire, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and actor has become one of the original voices in music today. A creator who moves easily between genres, identities, and mediums, Kossisko refuses to be defined by limits.

Their latest album, Slayerz Ball, captures that freedom. It is a bold, dazzling mix of funk, disco, and R&B that Kossisko calls WTFUNK, a sound that feels as alive and unpredictable as the artist behind it. “I wanted to make something that felt like breaking out of a shell,” they said. “Like you’re finally free to just be.”

That sense of liberation did not appear overnight. It was earned through years of transformation, reinvention, and resilience.

From Berkeley to Côte d’Ivoire

Kossisko’s story began in Berkeley, where they grew up in a multicultural home with a Jewish mother and an African father. At sixteen, life took an unexpected turn when their father sent them to a boarding school in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. What was described as a vacation became a two-year exile that would forever shape their outlook.

The school was strict and crowded. Kossisko lived with fifteen others in a small house and battled malaria five times. They once ran away to the American embassy, only to be told they could not return home until adulthood. Looking back, Kossisko has said that those years gave them both trauma and perspective —a crash course in endurance that would later inform their art.

When they finally returned to California in 2010, they began recording music. “I started taking rap seriously at nineteen,” Kossisko said. “That was the moment I realized it wasn’t just an expression. It was survival.”

The 100s Era

Kossisko: The Fearless Artist Turning Survival Into Sound

Photo Courtesy: Olav Stubberud

Before the world knew them as Kossisko, they performed under the name 100s. The debut mixtape Ice Cold Perm dropped in 2012 and quickly built a cult following for its mix of sharp lyrics and West Coast G-funk swagger.

By 2013, 100s had signed to A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold Records, toured with ASAP Ferg, and appeared on the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack with the song “Life of a Mack.” The track exploded, landing them in an iPhone campaign and solidifying 100s as a rising star.

The follow-up EP Ivry leaned deeper into funk and disco influences, signaling a creative shift. When the music video for “Ten Freaky Hoes” ended with a farewell letter signed “Kossisko,” fans realized a new chapter was coming.

Reinvention and Rebirth

In 2015, Kossisko officially retired the 100s persona and stepped forward under their real name. “I felt reborn,” they said in a later interview. The first single “This May Be Me” premiered on The Fader and marked a new sound, moody, melodic, and emotionally raw. The EP Red White N Cruel followed that same year.

By this point, Kossisko’s artistry had evolved beyond music alone. They were writing songs for artists such as Marshmello and Beck, earning a Grammy nomination for their Album Hyperspace, which also features their song “Die Waiting”. Acting and modeling opportunities followed, including appearances in HBO’s Euphoria, Netflix’s Sex/Life, and several fashion campaigns. Marvel even paid tribute to one of their album covers in a promotional campaign.

But while their career was flourishing, Kossisko faced a serious health crisis. During work on Slayerz Ball, they were hospitalized with a cerebral arteriovenous malformation, a rare brain condition that can cause strokes and seizures. “The doctors thought I’d had a minor stroke, but it turned out I was born with this,” they said. “If I hadn’t been hospitalized, there was a big chance I would have died.”

When they returned to the studio, the music took on new meaning. “I came into it like this was my last record because I’d faced death.”

The Rise of WTFUNK

The album that came from that experience, Slayerz Ball, is as cathartic as it is thrilling. Working with Grammy-winning producer Cole M.G.N. and New Zealand producer Nathan Judd, Kossisko fused live instruments and synth textures into something that feels both nostalgic and futuristic.

The songs move between sultry confidence and emotional clarity. Serotonin glows with dreamy psychedelia. Finally Free (Her Demons Remix) celebrates release. Rich Bi$h, inspired by 1970s funk and featuring members of Rick James’s Stone City Band, radiates playful rebellion.

“It’s about authenticity,” Kossisko said. “I wanted to make something that felt honest, even when it’s wild. Especially when it’s wild.”

The project drew praise from outlets such as Pitchfork, NYLON, FADER, and VICE, each recognizing Kossisko as a rare artist unafraid to mix vulnerability with boldness.

The Face of a New Movement

In March 2024, Kossisko publicly shared that they identify as non-binary and use they or them pronouns. For fans, it was a moment that felt both intimate and inevitable. Kossisko had always radiated a freedom that went beyond genre or gender.

On stage, they transform into something larger than life, charismatic, radiant, and unpredictable. Offstage, they are disarmingly grounded, quick to laugh, and deeply thoughtful about what their art represents.

“I just want people to feel like they can be themselves,” they said. “That’s really it. I don’t care if it’s through a song, a look, or a movie. If someone feels freer because of something I made, that’s success to me.”

This year, Kossisko will also be featured in Authority Magazine’s Music Stars Making a Social Impact series, highlighting artists using their platforms to inspire change. For Kossisko, it is a fitting acknowledgment of the deeper message behind their music, the belief that self-expression can be healing and that art can bridge boundaries of identity and experience.

The Journey Ahead

Kossisko continues to expand creatively. Their visuals push fashion and film aesthetics. Their songwriting connects global audiences. Their energy on stage brings everything full circle, a mix of confidence, soul, and something that feels almost spiritual.

At recent shows, including a packed release night at The Peppermint Club in West Hollywood, fans have described feeling a mix of joy and catharsis. The performance was not just a concert. It was a celebration of resilience.

“Every time I step on stage, I remember what I survived,” Kossisko said. “That’s why I give it everything.”

With Slayerz Ball now streaming everywhere and new collaborations in the works, Kossisko’s evolution is far from over. If anything, this feels like the beginning of a much larger story, one where sound, identity, and purpose collide in spectacular, fearless fashion.