Mama Duke, known as Kori Roy, is an Austin rapper, singer-songwriter, and queer artist. With her energetic blend of rap, pop, and hip-hop, she rocketed into the national spotlight in 2025 after giving a viral audition on America’s Got Talent (AGT).
Her original song, Feels So Good To Be You, got her four unanimous Yesses with a standing ovation and the judges making her praise her genuineness and stage presence. She will now directly compete in the grand finals against Steve Ray Ladson and other contestants who will receive remaining golden buzzers in the quarterfinals.
Quick Info |
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|---|---|
| Real Name: | Kori Roy |
| Birth Date: | 1992 |
| Age (as of 2025): | 34 Years |
| Birth Place: | Palacios, Texas, USA |
| Height: | – |
| Husband: | – |
Early Life
Kori Roy grew up in Palacios, Texas, where much of her early life experiences surrounded her in storytelling and music, although rap was not permitted in her home as she grew up. Rather, she imbibed oldies, country, and serious discussions over lyrics and meaning with her mother, which led to her interest in songwriting and expression of emotion.
She did a short stint in photography at the Art Institute at Houston before moving to Austin, which is described as the Live Music Capital of the World. Stage fright eventually gave way as Roy started to perform in the area and soon opened up for well-established bands such as Naughty by Nature.
Career
The career of Mama Duke can be characterized by endurance, diversification, and authenticity. Her first jobs were as a barista, photographer and YMCA worker as she wrote and played music. In 2019, she established ATX Social Club, a member organization that helps queer and female artistes in the music sector of Austin, indicating her willingness to create creative bridges and facilitate the voice of the marginalized.
Gradually Roy gained a reputation in the world of music in Austin; she has been a two-time winner of the Austin Hip-Hop Award and a nominee of the Austin Music Award and other big festivals, such as SXSW and Austin City Limits (ACL). She also gave a strong TEDx talk in 2025 that focused on being authentic in performance and trusting in your own magic.
AGT Journey
In 2025, Mama Duke moved to national television through AGT. Her performance of Feels So Good To Be You appealed equally to both judges and audiences, and she was unanimously approved of by the judges, and her song hit the Top 5 on the iTunes Pop Chart and had millions of listeners on Spotify within days.
In her audition video, she garnered more than 11 million TikTok watches and 600,000 YouTube watches, and her Spotify audience grew exponentially to above 230,000. She even gave a free concert in Austin to celebrate and briefly went back to her job at the YMCA before the next rounds of AGT.
She made it to the quarter final round where an original song called Welcome to the Mama Duke Show gave her the Golden Buzzer she had always desired in AGT, courtesy of Mel B. This brought her straight to the finals, making her the first rapper to ever make the AGT finals in that category since Rappin Granny in Season 1.
Personal Life
No details about Mama Duke (Kori Roy) being in a romantic relationship are publicized at this moment. Media portraits, interviews, and updates focus solely on her artwork, activism, and career—but not any personal love life information. Thus, it would be true that the love life is not publicly disclosed.
The unique thing about Mama Duke is her unashamed blurring of genres, identity-driven storytelling, and unashamed authenticity, one that speaks to a wide range of listeners. Combining personal history with a mission to amplify the voices of the underrepresented, her artistry made her a force in music and a representative of the culture.
Social Media Presence
Mama Duke is on Instagram, where she has a following of more than 33K at @mama.duke. Her posts feature performance videos, backstage scenes, personal style, and news of her AGT life and music releases. Her presence on social media is not limited to Instagram; her AGT audition videos have become viral on TikTok and YouTube, attracting viewers to her content and reaching well past the Austin music scene.
Mama Duke Net Worth
At the moment, there is no publicly available confirmed information regarding the net worth of Mama Duke. Although her AGT success and performances at festivals must have resulted in additional money and fame, there is no credible source that shows how much she earned and what her wealth or financial worth is. Her financial status is not known, as she is an up-and-coming independent artist.
