Karl Johnny Black

Karl Johnny Black, known as "KJ," is a Norwegian-American with a Texan twist, recognized for his cowboy hat and all-black attire. His sharp eyes and straight talk earned him the nickname "KJ," and his famous mutton chops add to his distinctive look.

Before the chaos of the Los Santos Collapse, KJ was a savvy businessman, involved in ventures like Seacycle and Sionis. He partnered with his friend Benji Ramos in the gun business, operating under the alias "Squeaky." Despite his criminal ties, he also helped his ex-wife Mari McKay with her businesses and invested in XTC Entertainment.

Returning from Norway, KJ initially took on odd jobs, but he was soon drawn back into the criminal world, this time in the weed industry. His hard work caught the attention of a powerful group, and he now serves as their Director of Pharmaceuticals.

Despite his criminal activities, KJ values loyalty and honesty above all. He treats his associates fairly and always puts his family first. In a city full of deception, there are only two people he truly trusts.

The Past Five Years Before Returning To Los Santos[]

After the Seaside gang disbanded, KJ received urgent news from his friends in Norway, compelling him to abruptly depart from his wife, Mari, and their city. Unaware of the challenges awaiting him, KJ embarked on a journey that would irrevocably alter his life.

Entangled in a complex web of deception and danger, KJ found himself back in his hometown at Jon's urging, only to be pursued by Interpol for his past misdeeds. Amidst the chaos, he crossed paths with Silje, the daughter of the gang leader of Tveita. Despite the darkness closing in around him, a glimmer of humanity remained in Silje, who harbored feelings for KJ and intervened by enlisting Tveita's aid to intercept Interpol, sparing KJ from certain capture. Betrayed by Jon, KJ found himself reliant on Silje's protection, a situation that forced him to remain by her side for his own safety. In doing so, he was forced to confront the painful reality that he had betrayed Mari, his former love, in order to ensure his survival. The weight of his disloyalty to Mari weighed heavily on KJ's conscience, leaving him unable to forgive himself for the choices he had made. Survival came at a steep cost. To prove his loyalty to Tveita's gang, KJ was compelled to commit despicable and inhumane acts, each one chipping away at his sense of self and morality.

When KJ realized that Mari had gone to great lengths to find him after looking for Jon for years to exact his revenge, it ignited a fierce determination within him. Fueled by the hope of redemption and the desire to break free from Tveita's grasp, KJ devised a daring plan to sabotage the gang's main villa during a celebratory party, aiming to create chaos and confusion that would allow him to slip away unnoticed. With his plan set into motion, KJ wasted no time in executing his escape. He sought refuge with his mother briefly, aiding her in hiding before embarking on a journey back to Los Santos, driven by a desperate need to protect the people he loved from the looming threat of Tveita's gang, uncertain of who among them, including Silje, may have survived the explosive aftermath.

Upon reuniting with Mari in Los Santos, KJ's heart sank as he confronted the stark reality of the pain he had inflicted upon her. Despite his longing for closure, he couldn't shake the weight of the sacrifices he had made and the compromises to his sense of self during his ordeal. The experience had stripped away a part of him, leaving behind a void where his loyalty to relationships once resided. In the face of Mari's presence, he couldn't find it in himself to bridge the emotional distance between them, knowing that the scars of his actions ran too deep to be easily healed.

Notable Events[]

Early Days

Karl Johnny “KJ” Black had a tumultuous start as a bounty hunter in Texas, working alongside his father. However, a mission gone awry forced him to flee the country for his own safety. Landing in Norway, KJ attempted to revive his bounty hunting career, only to discover that the city's demand leaned more towards private investigators, a role he didn't quite fit into. Adapting to the circumstances, he found refuge in a car mechanic shop, where he forged connections with a group known as the “Mazda Boys.” This clique, identified by their eclectic collection of Mazda cars, reintroduced KJ to a life of illicit activities.

With his past as a bounty hunter known to his new associates, KJ embraced their criminal endeavors fearlessly. As the group delved deeper into organized crime, KJ emerged as the mastermind behind their operations, ensuring their illicit activities remained undetected. He spearheaded their drug and gun businesses, propelling the Mazda Boys to the pinnacle of power within Norway's criminal underworld.

However, the growing scrutiny from Interpol due to their high-profile crimes prompted a strategic retreat. KJ made the decision to return to the United States, settling in Los Santos to evade Interpol's pursuit and lay low, marking a new chapter in his journey.

Barrio, Gangs and The Vagos

When KJ arrived in Los Santos, he settled in Jamestown, which is more notoriously called “The Barrio”. KJ did not leave his criminal life behind even after arriving in a new city. He met a group called “Black Betty” that made a huge impression on him and it led him to decide to work for them and climb up the ranks. He did all types of petty crimes for them- selling gold watches, first-class pistols, and robbing houses among others. This all happened while he was living in Jamestown. KJ always saw the different gangs in the south side including the Vagos, the Ballas and the Marabuntas. He was very sociable and was approached multiple times by the gangs that wanted to recruit him. He was also approached by the Aztecas as well as Dundee, leader of the BBMC (No Pixel 2.0), who wanted KJ to join their gang. KJ and Dundee had a big meeting at the docks with former BBMC members like Benji and Reggie, as he was looking to join the BBMC. This was also the same time when KJ lived opposite to the Vagos turf and did work for Arush Patel “Speedy” Santana, leader of the Vagos. KJ was approved to buy an apartment in the South end of the Barrio, which was the cheapest real estate in the city where he eventually came across Speedy, who asked for his help with selling bigger guns like AK-47s. When KJ asked Speedy what it takes to be a Vago, Speedy laughed at him saying that “he needs to do a lot of shit” before being asked to join. Speedy gave tasks to KJ, which he did quite efficiently. He was then invited by Speedy to join the Vagos, despite not being well-liked by the other gang members because he was a “pepega” and made lots of mistakes. At this time, he turned down Dundee and the BBMC to join the Vagos. This was how KJ was recruited into the Vagos, with Speedy being the only one who believed in KJ.

Vagos Life

KJ rolled around the Southside with Arturo, Pablo and Mario. They taught him everything that he needed to know about the Barrio. He worked his way up to be a Soldado and was eventually promoted to the rank of a Capitano because of the way he viewed and handled the Vagos business. Although KJ was disliked by the people in the Vagos, he continuously improved and developed himself into a more empathetic and fair leader. He constantly improved his art of communication towards his peers in the familia, observing what works and what doesn’t. He was also extremely loyal to the Vagos, especially to Speedy, who took him in and believed in him and his abilities.

Towards the end of the old city (2.0), most of the Vagos, including KJ, were sentenced to years in prison.

When the Vagos moved to the new city, KJ got out of prison alongside other members of his familia and they all had to start over, as a gang, When it came to their business, the Vagos had to create connections and Speedy did that very well, with the likes of Benji and KJ as his aides, since they were the next two people in command. KJ was (and still remains) good at creating connections in the city, and was well respected by other gangs and criminals who were doing business with him. KJ also had a very good relationship with their supplier of meth, The Lost M C (their relationship continues to remain steady to this day). He was also in charge of the operations of pushing meth in Jamestown, even implementing a “Taco Truck” front. KJ made it mandatory for the Vagos to wear a disguise while selling meth to protect the familia, especially since they were being investigated under a RICO case and the PD were looking closely into their actions as a gang.

Being a Vagos Capitano had its challenges for KJ. Although he was reliable and efficient when it came to business (fair and thorough with the money that they earned from their drugs and their guns), KJ still struggled with the Vagos’ perception of him; constantly being questioned if he really was a good Capitano, or if he really fit the role to lead most of the Vagos. One of the main problems that they encountered or complained about KJ was his “speech”. KJ was brutally honest and had a hard time sugarcoating his words or “snake-tonguing” the boys when he found something to improve with them.

He also had a few internal fights within the Vagos like with Chino, with Cousin (Speedy’s cousin) after he shot him and his actions even led to a soldado being sent to the ICU after disrespecting him. There was also Leo who constantly terrorized KJ, disrespected him and constantly questioned his authority as a Capitano. This became a big issue for KJ until he got fed up with Leo and he shot him. Speedy stoody by KJ’s side and blooded Leo out because that’s what the latter wanted. Everyone in the Vagos except for Benji understood why KJ did that since Benji himself thought that he was not given the same respect that Speedy gets from the familia. Speedy called for a big meeting to put KJ in some sort of “Trial” and explain his side as to why he shot Leo. The trial went well and ended up with Benji pointing out (and coining) that he was “+1000 speech” during the meeting.

Everything went quite smoothly after that. However, KJ didn’t forget the things he had to put up with while running the main operations and raising money for the familia. His loyalty for the Vagos was so deep that he even bought a warehouse first, before buying his dream car. He always loaned money to the familia and funded Speedy with money and materials for his bench and other Vagos needs. Throughout his Vagos life in the new city, KJ developed a very close bond with Benji (#KENJI4EVER), after the latter supported him while KJ was crucified for not being a good leader. He then promised himself that if Benji, his best friend, ever left the Vagos, he would too.

Throughout KJ’s last months in the Vagos, Benji opened up to KJ about how unhappy he was with the Vagos and he felt like he wanted out. Benji was having a hard time deciding until KJ told him to “just decide whether to leave or not”. Eventually Benji decided that he would finally leave the Vagos. KJ, remaining true to his word, followed suit and was blooded out in front of the familia by a firing squad. Besides him, there were 11 other people in the Vagos who left on their own accord. The boys who KJ mentored and recruited reached out to him to say their goodbyes and told him that they respected him despite leaving the Gang. Arturo reached out to him as well to say his goodbye in secret.

Life After Vagos

After KJ left the Vagos, he told the others that he was not going to join a crew anymore but will always be supportive and protective to the family he chose (These were most of the people who left the Vagos after he followed Benji along with Ash).

The first few weeks after leaving the gang, KJ did civilian work such as fishing and mining (as he was helping his sister Ash). He also enjoyed gambling in the casino, spinning the wheel and playing black jack at the 25k table (from which he is currently banned thanks to Dice God). He then focused on his business Under Arted (which came to a halt after his sister Cece's passing) and helping Uwu Cafe with their search for the high quality ingredients. During this period, KJ found himself making new friends and connections which was quite enjoyable for this yip yapper. Soon he joined Benji and the others for bank jobs and gun-selling and before he knew it, his small family was getting bigger.

Seaside

Following the birth of Seaside and its gradual growth as an established group in the city, the gang eventually developed an unspoken structure with Benji as the leader and KJ and Ash as his second in command. The trio, nicknamed The Trident, form the highest ranking structure of the gang and have been currently established as people to look up to within the gang and in the city for their leadership, influence and connections. As part of the Trident, it was clear that everyone looked to KJ to be a leader in Benji’s absence alongside Ash. While it was a hard process for Benji to get KJ to accept his position as a second in command, KJ has eventually warmed up to the idea of leading the group alongside his sister and best friend. Nowadays, KJ finds it much easier to express his opinions that affect the group as a whole, be it positive or negative (which can be annoying at times). Leaving his south side Capitano ways behind has been a gradual but hard process for KJ (you can still see bits and pieces of it sometimes), but his unwavering loyalty for Seaside and the Trident itself has allowed himself to grow into the position of a leader within the gang. As Benji’s right hand man, KJ deals with the gang’s day to day operations as well as selling guns to several of his clients throughout the city. KJ’s bluntness and professionalism has ensured steady business and invaluable connections throughout the city. While KJ may not be the best shooter or driver in the gang, he has developed the mindset of trying to better himself and helping out the family in any way he can - bet it by learning to drive better by racing or doing oxy to make sure the family stays stocked for the war. KJ may hate you or love you and he may complain about it but if you’re part of the family, KJ’s got your back.

When Ash chose to leave Seaside, KJ took it upon himself to step up as the leader everyone needed him to be and held it together by being there for everyone, earning him even more respect and support throughout the family. KJ handled himself with grace and dignity throughout the entire transition which was recognised and praised by Benji, who knew exactly how much KJ had grown as a leader (since doubting his abilities to lead in the Vagos days).

KJ is currently the second in command of Seaside.

Romantic History[]

Present[]

In the present, KJ and Mari have made the heartfelt decision to part ways, a choice born from the tumultuous events that unfolded five years after KJ's departure to assist his mother in Norway. The passage of time during his absence from Los Santos has left an undeniable imprint on KJ, altering him in profound ways. Mari's courageous journey to find KJ in Norway ended in disappointment, yet she returned to LS with an open heart. Despite their separation, their bond remains deeply rooted, and KJ's soul carries a genuine affection for Mari that transcends their current circumstances.

3.0 Romantic History[]

KJ and Mari are publicly in a relationship and have admitted to being in love with each other. Mari proposed to KJ on May 24 2023 at the Galileo Observatory, gifting him a custom ring and pet dog. KJ accepted before rushing to collect his own engagement ring, purchased for Mari ahead of his own planned proposal. They got married in June 30, 2023 by the beach, in front of friends and family. Notable guests are Seaside, HOA, Rust, and Flop. Their reception was held at the Liquid Library. KJ gave Mari a Katana as a wedding gift.

List of Former Relationships[]

Mari Mckay - Ex- Wife (complicated)
Mina Rocket - 3 Months
Kendra Davis - 2.0

Interests[]

KJ is an avid collector of toys from different food establishments around Los Santos. When he's not hanging out with his family or Mari, he is usually seen racing with his BMW or Double T or doing some petty crime. In the present, KJ loves to gamba by spinning the wheel, and betting on Big 21 (roulette)