Y2K is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter who came into the spotlight after his tongue-in-cheek rap number Lalala (2019), that he had produced alongside Canadian rapper bbno$, went viral on Spotify. He has remixed numerous songs by artists like Ro Ransom and produced various albums including Planet Her (2021) by Doja Cat. Y2K has amassed more than 230k followers on Instagram where he has posted his lifestyle photos.
Born Name
Ari David Starace
Nick Name
Y2K
Y2K saying Cheers in October 2021 (Y2K / Instagram)
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Record producer, Rapper, Songwriter
Family
Father – His father has worked in electronics.
Mother – His mother has run a music store.
Genre
Hip Hop, Trap, R&B
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Columbia Records
Build
Slim
Y2K in January 2020 wishing everyone a happy new year (Y2K / Instagram)
Height
5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
Weight
70 kg or 154.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
White
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Distinctive Features
A mole each, on the right side of his forehead and left cheek
Thick eyebrows
Long hair
Brand Endorsements
He has endorsed or promoted several brands such as Subway.
Y2K sharing his mirror image in May 2021 (Y2K / Instagram)
Y2K Facts
He was brought up in Scottsdale in Arizona.
Y2K got introduced to music at a very early age. The music store his mother owned in Arizona had been opened by her before he was born and it was there that his interest in music started.
He has recalled that he was in a pop/punk band with his pals in high school.
Y2K has recollected that he had not been fond of going to school and would always long to leave. Nevertheless, he used to find his photo teacher cool and liked her.
His first memory of the internet was when he had been introduced to the hit online game RuneScape that was a big deal for him. He would get up before school to play whatever he could, and after returning home, resume playing as much as was possible. There was even drama in his school about Runescape, it had become so popular.
He has recounted that as a kid, he was emo, probably more aesthetically than in his traits. He had stopped riding dirt bikes and had gone through a phase in which he would wear skinny jeans. When he was in high school, he used to don Supreme hats and had a V-neck that he adored with the words “Stay Brutal” printed on it.
Y2K has remembered that he had a lot of free time in late 2012 when he was spending it by playing video games. However, he never got good enough to make it his profession and so he began redirecting his attention to producing that he had been interested in, too.
Prior to Lalala, Y2K had a couple of productions that had been quite prosperous including No Sad No Bad by the artist KILLY from Toronto and Ridin from the rapper and songwriter Yung Bans from Atlanta.
Y2K has noticed that one’s perspective on success alters as different milestones are hit. When he had made up his mind that it was music he wanted to pursue full-time, he had a number of remixes that had acquired a few thousand plays online that had led him to realize that something was working for him and had inspired him to grind it out. At the time that was a huge success for him, which he has contemplated in hindsight, was not that much impactful.
