The Kid LAROI, born Charlton Howard, once declared his goal to become “the Drake of Australia” in a rare 2020 interview with NME. A new documentary on Prime Video, entitled Kids Are Growing Up, covers how LAROI made that dream a reality over the course of four years while also revealing the personal struggles the Kamilaroi rapper/singer endured. LAROI mostly writes about emotions rather than exploring his identity as a First Nations performer, and the documentary provides a companion to his highly anticipated debut album, The First Time, which was released last year. Departing from his broody lyrics, the film captures LAROI’s innate humor and charm in interactions with peers and fans alike.
In Kids Are Growing Up, LAROI is filmed as a prodigious child freestyling from a car, only to fumble midway and laugh, revealing his authenticity, a trait that is vital in hip-hop musicians. The documentary sees LAROI discussing the trauma of witnessing the passing of his mentor Juice WRLD, as well as the pressures of the music industry, depression, and romantic upheaval, all while reaching adulthood. LAROI’s single mother, Sloane Howard, raised him, and he even introduces his father, Nick Howard, who had a career as a failed pop idol, leading to LAROI’s anxieties about fleeting fame.
However, Kids Are Growing Up does not provide much information on LAROI’s roots in, and emergence from, the Sydney inner-suburb of Waterloo, much to the disappointment of many fans. The documentary only sees LAROI through a narrow American lens, which is directed by Michael D. Ratner, who is known for producing Justin Bieber: Our World. Of the talking heads, LAROI’s current American team dominates, including Post Malone providing a testimonial. Longtime Australian associates, such as Western Sydney trailblazer BLESSED, who produced LAROI’s ’14 With A Dream’ EP, are notably absent.
Kids Are Growing Up is beautifully shot, with Flynn’s animation. The documentary highlights LAROI’s transitory life, often filming him rushing through backstage spaces or traveling in private planes or limos, dashes of pathos being thrown in, such as the camera zooming in on a cereal bowl that is crawling with ants. The film concludes with LAROI’s triumphant Australian homecoming tour in May 2022, where he sold out two nights at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, a scene that could have ended the documentary. Instead, the documentary ends with the crowds at Coachella in 2023, demanding that LAROI drop an album.
Ultimately, Kids Are Growing Up serves as a meditation on happiness, revealing LAROI’s rise and his maturity in the music industry. LAROI philosophizes about his experiences and life in the public eye, demonstrating his growing awareness of his status as a pop star and his impact on his fans. While the documentary provides a glimpse into LAROI’s life, it still feels fragmentary, with the rapper being the “lost teenager” in his own story. The film was directed by Michael D. Ratner and features The Kid LAROI. It was released on February 29, 2022, on Prime Video
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