This post was updated April 5 at 8:05 p.m.

Nori Kai’s work ethic is as nonstop as her flow.

The first-year music industry student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, released her second studio album, “Wish You Had,” in January – just seven months after her debut record, “Wistful Thinking,” in May of 2025. Nori Kai Little, who goes by the artist name Nori Kai, describes herself as an alternative R&B and hip-hop artist, citing Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky and Childish Gambino as her biggest inspirations. The artist said her latest release is a direct reflection of her life at the time she was working on the project.

“It’s authentic, it’s where I was in the moment,” Kai said. “Just thinking about where I was in that time of my life and how far I’ve come since then is crazy. It’s like a little time capsule, even though it wasn’t that long ago. It’s very special to me.”

Kai said she has been making music for as long as she can remember, but started taking it more seriously at age 14, enrolling in online courses at the Berklee College of Music. Kai grew up with an immense love for the medium, she said, discovering her passion while watching symphonies with her grandmother and later performing onstage in musical theater. She also said she started working with producers professionally to record and release music just last year.

The release of her second album coincided with her getting signed to the Albuquerque-based creative label, BTTRSNC, which she said has been able to provide her with resources in terms of production and communication and handle all business inquiries, allowing her to focus more closely on her creative projects.

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Marcus Scott, the founder and CEO of BTTRSNC, as well as Kai’s manager, said he first discovered Kai through her performance in a production of “Dreamgirls,” but got more familiar with Kai when she later approached him about making her own music. Acting as her main producer, he said that more than anything, he is inspired by her work ethic.

“​​I think it’s going to separate her in the long run and even presently,” Scott said. “You know, I can put a challenge in front of her, and she’s not one to stray away from it at all. And that’s one thing that is super beneficial, especially as a producer.”

Regarding the current landscape of hip-hop and music in general, Kai said that people don’t appreciate music as much as they used to. People rarely listen to entire albums, she said, opting instead to listen to individual songs and missing a body of work because of a fast-paced culture. Referring to hip-hop, she also said it’s harder to be respected on the same level in the space as a woman, because of the lack of exposure. However, she said the rise in the number of women being highlighted as artists has made a step toward their being better appreciated in the genre.

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Danni Provo, known as clarq., is an alternative R&B artist and BTTRSNC labelmate who said she had seen these challenges herself, working professionally in the industry for almost a decade. As Kai’s mentor, clarq. said she has borne witness to the artist navigating the genre’s obstacles, leading her to grow into the free and creative person she is today.

“People love to consume us, but we still have the back-end fight that people don’t see,” clarq. said. “I think that the way that she combats that and stands out is just being herself, not trying to be or present as anything that she’s not. She knows who she is.”

Kai said she is planning on releasing an EP and a number of singles later this year. She said she hopes to take in new experiences from her music industry classes, as working with her peers often inspires Kai, she added.

“It’s truly just the love of the game,” Kai said. “I love it. There’s nothing I’d rather do than create. When you’re so passionate about something, it’s not that you have to make yourself do anything – you just do it.”