Kirby Tha Hottest

Prince Entertainment Network & TV

5 min readAug 31, 2021

Things to know

Born: February 22, 1988, Detroit, MI

Full name: Marlon Kirby

Height: 6’1

Siblings: ReeseThaChosen1, Banz Da Tin Man

Parent(s): Tonya Robinson

Collaborators: Travis Porter, ReeseThaChosen1, K Camp, KiNG 3D

Kirby Tha Hottest x ReeseThaChosen1 — Cold Dude (MUSIC VIDEO) (youtube.com)

Marlon Kirby, son of Tonya Robinson, (born February 22, 1988), known professionally as Kirby Tha Hottest, is an American rapper and entrepreneur from Detroit, Michigan. He first garnered a following with the release of his hit single I Got White Friends (feat. DJ Teknikz), which led to his signing of a recording contract from G.E Ent. (Global Executives Entertainment) and EMPIRE Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. EMPIRE has featured a plethora of talented artists, such as 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, XXXTentacion, Young Dolph, King Von and more. In 2010, G.E. would release his debut major label studio album, The Awakening (2010) and a follow up mixtape, Breakfast In Bed (2010). These were the first of 8 solo projects & 3 group albums, released before he parted ways with the label in 2019.

Career

Early Life

Kirby Tha Hottest was born in one of the most notoriously dangerous cities in America, Detroit, Michigan. From a young age he showered promise as a basketball player, but Kirby hared another vision for himself. He grew up with a great deal of responsibility at home, as he was 1 of 10 children. When he was 14 years old Kirby Tha Hottest and his older brother, Reese Tha Chosen 1, relocated to Atlanta , GA to pursue a career in music. He began to establish a presence in the city by selling mixtapes to locals; over the next couple years grew more and more serious about the of the idea of being a rapper as his fan base started to expand.

Rise to Popularity 2009— 2012

In 2009, Kirby Tha Hottest released “White Friends”. This gained the attention of G.E. Entertainment. That same year he signed 5 album record deal with the label, and at midnight on New Years of 2010, he released his I Got White Friends EP that was welcomed with great reviews and generally positive reception, featuring popular artists, such as Travis Porter, Jimmy Lavigne, and more. Amidst his success, Reese The Chosen 1 was arrested on criminal charges. Reese was found guilty of simple assault and armed robbery and sentenced incarcerated. These charges have since been dropped. On March 9, 2010 Kirby released his debut studio album, The Awakening, dedicated to his brother. The Awakening has aged well, boasting some of Kirby’s most successful songs to date like The Awakening, Across The Globe, I Got White Friends, Zone 6 (featuring Getta, Chuck, and Montana) All I Got (featuring Travis Porter), and True Love (featuring Jimmy Lavigne). Kirby followed this album up with his mixtape, Breakfast In Bed. Continuing a consistent 2010, Kirby quickly became the face of G.E. Entertainment. The label released a trilogy of collaborative mixtapes , leading to the release of Kirby Tha Hottest’s “We Party” among other great works from 2010-2012 that also include Kirby’s critically acclaimed mixtapes, The Off Season and The Kirby Project.

Up Close & Personal 2013–2015

In 2013, Kirby and Cory B teamed up to create the YouTube series, Up Close & Personal. Up Close & Personal focuses on Kirby’s personals life from the barbershop to the basketball court & the studio to Kirby’s home in Atlanta, Georgia. In Up Close & Personal we get a close up of Kirby’s first recordings for his album and mixtape, The City On Me and Detroit State of Mind. The City On Me features one of Kirby’s most popular songs up to that point, I Got The Juice.

Artist Showcases, G.E. Entertainment & Mixtapes 2016–2020

From 2016 to 2020, Kirby put out 2 mixtapes, PRINCE & Mikel Jackson (honoring 2 late music legends). This era brought about Kirby Tha Hottest’s one of the hottest records, Watch Me Cook Up. The Watch Me Cook Up lead to many dances and viral moments. In the midst of all this, Kirby began doing showcases in Atlanta to help grow young talent. Many artists got their first ever opportunity to perform for a real crowd, including Bazel 3D, who would go on to be create the Prince E.N.T. and become the first artist Kirby signed after Kirby and G.E. decided to part ways in 2019. Kirby cited independence and safety as the main reasons for his departure, as Empire was taking a large stake in revenue and has notoriously been a subject of rumors involving the murders of King Von and Young Dolph. Kirby continued his showcases where he also came across Kristen Nichole.

Pretty Cool Money 2020–2022

In 2020, Kirby started his own record company, Pretty Cool Money LLC. The first project under the label was Kirby’s own, I’m Back In The Lab with his hit single, Vibrant. Pretty Cool Money also brought a platform to new artists like KiNG 3D, formerly known as Bazel 3D, and Kristen Nichole. In 2022, Kirby collaborated with his brother and longtime partner, ReeseThaChosen1, for the album Dem Kirby Boyz. KiNG 3D released his debut mixtape with the label, Chattanooga.