Hot Karl Finally Delivers The Steaming Goods

Hot Karl Official Website.

The "Other-White-Rapper-Once-Signed-To-Interscope" Set To Drop His Long-Awaited Debut Album, "The Great Escape"


(Brooklyn, NY June 27, 2005) – Hot Karl, aka Jensen Karp, will release his (second) debut album, The Great Escape, on Headless Heroes/BBE Records on July 19th, 2005. The album features guest appearances from MC Serch (3rd Bass), Reggie Watts (Maktub) and Ali Abnormal, as well as production from 9th Wonder, She Wants Revenge (Justin Warfield & Adam 12), Ali Dee, Mayru and Jamey Staub.


In 2001, after spending $750,000, Interscope Records shelved what was to be Karl's first album because of alleged complaints from another white rapper on the label (you might have heard of him- some call him Eminem).


Three years later, Karl has returned with a completely new album that conveys something different than the pervasive and played out thug/bling theme found on most hip-hop records today. "I'm only going to speak about things I know," Karl explains. "My keeping it real is much different than most other MC's." Karl's trademark humor and witty word play are the unique result of being weaned on early hip hop classics like N.W.A, 3rd Bass, and Slick Rick while growing up as a white middle-class suburbanite. He couldn't relate to the subjects they rapped about, but he grew to love the art form and began writing and rapping at an early age.

In case anyone doubts Hot Karl's legitimacy or credentials as a true hip-hop artist, consider these fun facts: Karl's name was bestowed upon him by ICE-T, after witnessing 13 year-old Jensen Karp destroy another MC in a freestyle battle ("Is this the kid who just shit on that MC?"). Later, Karl was reigning freestyle champion for a record 44 days on The Roll Call competition on LA's KKBT "The Beat" 100.3. After hearing Karl on the radio, Mac-10 offered to sign him with $50,000 in cash from the trunk of his car ("That was all I had on me at the time").

The first single from The Great Escape will be Kerk Gybson, a synthy ode to the 80's that is destined to be a summertime anthem. Get ready for the true voice of suburban America: Hot Karl.