Sarah Connell Sanders
Correspondent
I met Curtis Kariuki at a pretentious art party in August of 2016. He was introduced to me as a promising local videographer set to embark on a national hip-hop tour in the fall. We bonded over our shared alma mater.
“I was class of ‘05,” I told him. “What about you?”
He laughed and said, “Class of 2016.”
I nearly spit out my mouthful of overpriced pinot grigio. “Are you even old enough to be here?” I asked. The truth was, he belonged in the art scene more than anyone else.
Within a year of high school graduation, Kariuki had been featured on Hypebeast for his “Lil Yachty Scrapbook,” a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a teen rap sensation. On the cover, a shirtless Lil Yachty makes googly eyes at the camera while devouring a slice of pizza, his childlike demeanor forming a sharp contrast with the shimmering diamonds around his neck and a chest full of stark tattoos. The moment I saw the photo, I was reminded of how