In a world of 20-second sound bites and fleeting viral trends, leveling up, or the art of self-advancement, is imperative to an artist’s success. But advancing doesn’t necessarily mean buying into what everyone else does. Brooklyn Candida Rodriguez, or Bktherula as she’s known to her over a million Spotify listeners, is no stranger to the concept of leveling up on your own terms.

Since her debut in 2019 with the single “LEFT RIGHT” — which cracked the code of the times and became a viral TikTok sound — Bk has since continued to transform her repertoire, maintaining authenticity throughout. The Atlanta-born rapper is unafraid in her musical pursuits, choosing to proceed down her own path with little to no regard for what’s proven to work for others. 

“I do not hope, but pray that people take my music in as a way to do whatever they want to do,” Bk tells V. “All my career I have been told to do what everyone else does, and I simply said ‘Absolutely not.’ Do what you do and let God guide you in the path that you feel connected to.” 

Here is an artist that refuses to compromise her style or her craft for quick likes and empty streams. Despite this, Bk has still faced great success, racking up 5.6 billion likes on TikTok and over 172 million streams. And still counting.

With the surprise release of her sophomore album, LVL5, on Feb. 17, Bk enters the latest chapter of her burgeoning career with an homage to evolving, to growing, to leveling up. Preceded by the fan-favorite single “TAN,” the album is a manifestation of Bk’s own power – one that has been fostered over time. LVL5’s release alludes to the levels that came before it, presumably Levels 3 and 4, which shaped both her perception and her music. In her world, there are no Levels 1 and 2; we begin in the third dimension. 

“LVL5 started years ago. What’s crazy is I have been saying ‘LVL5’ before I ever thought about making it an era or an album,” explains the rapper. “It became that on its own. Years of music, years of experiences, years of love and battles.”

As hip-hop marks it’s 50th anniversary this year, Bktherula offers us a glimpse at the future of the genre. Furthermore representing this new generation of powerhouses who through their unconventional approach to creating, are breathing a new life into the storied music staple. And although Bk is leveling up while making her distinctive mark on the industry, her latest body of work proves she’s just getting started and on an upward trajectory that knows no bounds.  

See BK live in action on tour, kicking off on March 2nd, and listen to her sophomore album LV5 below!