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Jensen-Gerard Karp is an American producer, writer, actor, podcaster, gallerist, and former rapper. Previously known by his stage nameHot Karl, he signed a record deal withInterscope in his early 20s[1] and has gone on to produce and write for television and radio.
Karp was raised inCalabasas, California.[1][2] After a brief stint in hip-hop at 11 years old signed for management toIce-T's Rhyme Syndicate,[2] Karp entered the Roll Call freestyle competition on Los Angeles radio stationPower 106, during his time atUSC,[3] where he lasted a record 45 days on air to become the show's all-time champion.[4] Karp created a demo exhibiting his satirical style and tightly wound rhymes. He eventually signed withInterscope Records for what he said was a million dollars,[5] where he recorded what was to be his debut album,Your Housekeeper Hates You, which includedguest appearances byRedman,Kanye West,will.i.am,DJ Quik,Fabolous,Mýa,Sugar Ray,DJ Clue, andMC Serch. However, Interscope informed Karl that his album could not be commercially released due to scheduling conflicts and he decided to leave Interscope. Jensen released his memoir,Kanye West Owes Me $300 (and other true stories from a white rapper who ALMOST made it big), detailing the entire experience in June 2016 withCrown Books.[6]
In 2013, Karp recorded his first song in 10 years for his favorite basketball team, theLos Angeles Clippers, at the request of DJ Dense, the team's in-arena DJ.[7]
In 2016, Karp recorded a song titled "Like Riding a Bike", featuringMike Shinoda fromLinkin Park, which is available onSoundCloud.[8]
In October 2018, Karp joined the cast of theKevin and Bean morning show, hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter on alternative rock stationKROQ 106.7 FM inLos Angeles.[9] He had a regular segment called "Get Up on This", based on his podcast.[10] On March 18, 2020, it was announced that the entire morning crew had been let go by KROQ, over the phone at the start of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[11] It was reported that the station lost half its audience in the 2 weeks after letting them go as office and car listening fell rapidly across America as the pandemic emerged.[12]
Karp was a writer forWWE Raw for seven months during 2006.[13]
He also appeared on Season 1 of VH1'sBarely Famous playing Erin Foster's boyfriend[14] and was seen numerous times on the final season ofCandidly Nicole.[15] Karp also appeared onComedy Central's@midnight.[16]Karp wrote a sketch onThe Late Late Show with James Corden calledDrop the Mic, where Corden goes head to head battle rapping a different celebrity each installment. AfterLate Late Show installments withAnne Hathaway,Kevin Hart,David Schwimmer, andUsain Bolt, TBS bought the concept,[citation needed] which aired 31 episodes starting in 2017. Karp was credited as an executive producer for 7 episodes.[17]
Karp has written for Sacha Baron Cohen'sWho Is America?[18] The Grammys, The ESPYs,[19] The MTV Movie Awards,[20] The Masked Singer,[18] and the NFL on Fox.[21]
Karp co-owns and operatesGallery 1988, twopop art focused galleries in Los Angeles, California both located onMelrose Avenue.[22][23] He co-wrote the bookJust Can't Get Enough forAbrams Books withMatthew Robinson. Gallery 1988 is well known for itsKevin Smith hosted annual show,Crazy 4 Cult, where 100 artists reinterpret classiccult movies in their own style. At one time, Karp was also the brand manager and designer forPete Wentz'sClandestine Industries. His marketing company, Tyson/Givens Design & Marketing created the LOST Underground Art Project[24] for the show's final season and worked with the TV showBreaking Bad.[25] The gallery has also hosted exhibits for movies includingThe Avengers,[26][27]Rick and Morty andStar Wars: The Force Awakens.[28]
On July 1, 2020, Karp and his wife,Danielle Fishel, started a new podcast calledTalk Ain't Cheap,[29] where they analyze and dissect the Cameo accounts of celebrities. They also launched a Patreon[30] account that grants early access to the show, as well as other podcasts and an interactive Instagram game show called Scorantine. The podcast has drawn criticism as the idea was stolen from the Canadian podcastBlocked Party. The show was originally calledWord Up! which is a direct copy ofBlocked Party's segment title.[31] Since the summer of 2022 Karp has been producing the podcastPod Meets World in which three cast members from the 90s sitcomBoy Meets World,Rider Strong,Will Friedle, and Karp's wifeDanielle Fishel, watch episodes of the show, and share behind the scenes stories of what it was like to make the show.[32]
On July 4, 2017, towards the end of episode #303 of his podcastGet Up On This, he announced that he was dating actressDanielle Fishel. The two attended high school together but only began a romantic relationship after reconnecting as adults.[33] On March 22, 2018, Fishel and Karp got engaged.[34] They married on November 4, 2018.[35][36] Fishel announced in January 2019 that she and Karp were expecting their first child in July 2019.[37] After the couple got married in 2018, the couple started a family with the birth of their son Adler Lawrence Karp on June 24, 2019, a month early. Their son spent three weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. There was fluid that was found in Adler's lungs that had not been present prior to that. Over two years later, Fishel and Karp celebrated the arrival of their second son, Keaton Joseph Karp on August 29, 2021[38]
Karp appeared onThe Howard Stern Show in 2011 to talk about his time in the rap industry and perform The Roll Call with Howard & Lisa G. He also acted as the Creative Director at comedyYouTube Channel,Jash, where he produced and wrote on projects like The ArScheerio Paul Show and theChance the Rapper music video for "Na Na.".[39] He has written forRolling Stone,[40] theESPYs, theMTV Movie and Video Awards,[5]The Late Late Show with James Corden,[41] andFunny or Die.[42]
On March 22, 2021, Karptweeted a photograph of apparent discardedshrimp tails he claimed to have found in a box ofCinnamon Toast Crunch he purchased, despite the facility not producing a single product containing shrimp.[43] Additionally, Karp said he found a piece of string,[44] "small black pieces" embedded into some pieces of the cereal, and an object that looked like a pea.[45] The tweet about the alleged incident went viral, bringing safety concerns inGeneral Mills' manufacturing process into question.[46][47] General Mills later issued a statement on Twitter claiming the tails were "an accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients aren't thoroughly blended". A company representative claimed “that there’s no possibility of cross contamination with shrimp."[48] On March 23, General Mills claimed the company was investigating the case, but that contamination "did not occur at [their] facility."[49] Karp's presence on Twitter ceased at the time of this incident, alongside concurrent accusations of emotional abuse andgaslighting by former romantic partners.[50][51] His last tweet was posted on 24 March 2021.[52]
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