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Natassia Gail Zolot is an American Hip-Hop singer-songwriter based in Oakland, California, who records under the name of Kreayshawn. Her mother is Elka Zolot, former member of '90s all-girl surf punk band The Trashwomen. Kreayshawn attended Berkeley Digital Film Institute, but never finished the program. However she put her experience to good use directing videos for the likes of fellow Bay Area MC Lil B and Red Hot Chili Peppers ("
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie").
This is her debut single and it was its release on June 14, 2011 that really launched Kreayshawn's career. The video generated nearly three million views in its first three weeks and led to a $1 million recording contract with Columbia Records.
The song was produced by DJ Two Stacks and finds Kreayshawn proclaiming her disdain for wearing designer brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada: "Basic bitches wear that s--t, so I don't even bother," she raps.
The video was directed by Joseph Zentil of Strange Customs and finds Kreayshawn rapping and ghostriding with her sidekick, DJ Lil' Debbie. Jasper Dolphin, Taco and Left Brain of the Hip-Hop group OFWGKTA also make appearances in the clip.
Despite the less than complimentary nature of the track, Gucci did contact Kreayshawn. "Did they offer me free clothes?" she told Q magazine. "Hell no! I'd just set them on fire."
Kreayshawn created the concept for the video within hours of standing in front of the camera. "We thought of the video idea the day before the frickin' video was shot, so, you know," she told
The Boombox, "It's just all natural."
The Californian rhymer is a free spirit when it comes to the clothes she wears. "I dress myself, I'm anti-stylist," Kreayshawn explained to Boombox. "With the 'Gucci Gucci' video, me and my sister, we went out to like a whole bunch of thrift stores, 'cause that's all I had. I never really had money to buy clothes so what I would do is just, like, go to thrift stores and buy shirts and cut 'em up and stuff like that."
Kreayshawn explained to Billboard magazine regarding the album title: "Somethin' 'Bout Kreay basically came from a situation where this guy was obsessed with me, kind of. And my homie was like, 'Damn, there's something about Kreay'. "I was like, 'Oh my God, that's perfect,' cause people are very passionate about me whether they're like 'I love Kreayshawn. She's the best,' or it's like 'Oh I hate Kreayshawn. She's the worst.' So there's always something about me that makes people feel a certain way."
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