Jensen-Gerard Karp is an American writer, comedian, art dealer, producer, podcast host, and former rapper raised in Calabasas, California. Previously known by his stage name Hot Karl, he engaged in rap battling and freestyle at USC, during which time he took up the Hot Karl pseudonym.
Career
Music
Karp entered the Roll Call freestyle competition on Los Angeles radio station Power 106, where he lasted a record 45 days on air to become the show's all-time champion. Karl created a demo exhibiting his satirical style and tightly wound rhymes. He eventually signed with Interscope Records for almost a million dollars, where he recorded what was to be his debut album, Your Housekeeper Hates You, which included guest appearances by Redman, Kanye West, will.i.am, DJ Quik, Fabolous, Mýa, Sugar Ray, DJ Clue, and MC 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 , detailing the entire experience in June 2016 with Crown Books. Karp was featured in the 2006 documentary Dropped, which focuses on the trials and tribulations some artists have faced in the music industry. Karp's music was featured in the video game NBA Live 2003, a game in which he was also a hidden character. His song, "Back/Forth," was also featured in the 2009 movie It's Complicated. Karl also appeared on season 2 of Burning Love on Yahoo! Screen and E! and battled Martin Starr as part of the show. He currently manages Nova Rockafeller, a Canadian rapper on Boardwalk/Mercury records. In 2013, Karp recorded his first song in 10 years for his favorite basketball team, the Los Angeles Clippers, at the request of the team's in-arena DJ. In 2016, Karp recorded a song titled "Like Riding a Bike", featuring Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park, which is available on SoundCloud.
Radio
In October 2018, Karp joined the cast of the Kevin and Bean morning show, hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter on alternative rock station KROQ 106.7 FM in Los Angeles. He has a regular segment called "Get Up on This", which uses for its intro a modified version the song "Get on Up" by James Brown.
Television
Karp was a writer for WWE Raw for seven months during 2006. He also appeared on Season 1 of VH1's Barely Famous playing Erin Foster's boyfriend and was seen numerous times on the final season of Candidly Nicole. Karp also appeared on Comedy Central's @midnight. Karp wrote a sketch on The Late Late Show with James Corden called Drop the Mic, where Corden goes head to head battle rapping a different celebrity each installment. After episodes with Anne Hathaway, Kevin Hart, David Schwimmer, and Usain Bolt, TBS bought the concept, which aired 16 episodes starting in 2017. Karp served as executive producer and writer.
Art
Karp co-owns and operates Gallery 1988, two pop art focused galleries in Los Angeles, California both located on Melrose Avenue. He co-wrote the book Just Can't Get Enough for Abrams Books with Matthew Robinson. Gallery 1988 is well known for its Kevin Smith hosted annual show, Crazy 4 Cult, where 100 artists reinterpret classic cult movies in their own style. At one time, Karp was also the brand manager and designer for Pete Wentz's Clandestine Industries. His marketing company, Tyson/Givens Design & Marketing created the LOST Underground Art Project for the show's final season and worked with the TV showBreaking Bad. The gallery has also hosted exhibits for movies including The Avengers, Rick & Morty and .
Podcasts
Karp hosted a podcast called Hype Men in which he, Eric Rosenthal, and Jeff Rosenthal, aka Itsthereal, discussed hip-hop. It was ran from August 2010 to July 2011. He hosted a show on Earwolf called Get Up on This, in which he, Matthew Robinson, and a guest discussed things they think they should know about. Robinson and Karp also hosted Get Up Off This, the podcast within a podcast where they discuss things that people should not like and other replacements. The show ran from August 2011 until October 2018 with 371 episodes made. Karp and Robinson choose Ali Segel and Erin Mallory Long to replace them as hosts. He is a frequent guest on Pistol Shrimps Radio, a podcast on Earwolf following a women's recreational league basketball team in Los Angeles. In the halftime "Sock Report" segment, Karp discusses the socks of Pistol Shrimps and opposing players. In the second season of Pistol Shrimps Radio, Karp's character changed to "Greg Escalante," who later revealed he was Jensen Karp hiding from the Church of Scientology. He also hosts a podcast with his mother where she gives love advice to listeners called Motherly Love.
On March 22, 2018, Karp got engaged to actress Danielle Fishel. Karp and Fishel married on November 4, 2018. Fishel announced in January 2019 that they were expecting their first child in July 2019. Fishel gave birth to a boy named Adler on June 24, 2019.
