Kreayshawn

Natassia Gail Zolot (born September 24, 1989), known by her stage name Kreayshawn, is an American rapper and music video director. While serving as a member of a rap group with her friends, she released her debut single, "Gucci Gucci" in 2011 to internet viral success. The popularity of the song and its video led to a recording contract with Columbia Records soon after. Her debut album Somethin' 'Bout Kreay was released September 14, 2012.

Life and career
Natassia Gail Zolot was born on September 24, 1989, in San Francisco, California. She has Russian ancestry on her mother's side. Her mother, Elka Zolot, is a former member of the San Francisco garage punk band The Trashwomen. Kreayshawn moved to East Oakland and got her first video camera at age ten, and started documenting her raps and films about herself and everyday life. She left MetWest high school before attending Oakland High and being expelled for truancy. Before she stopped going to school at age 16, she attended two more schools, Alameda High and Island High. She was expelled from the former for threatening to throw a watermelon at a schoolmate. She then took a job at IKEA and the GED work program Job Corps, while selling Bammer Weed and working a short-lived stint as a "Craigslist pimp". When she was 17, she began exploring her interest in cinematography by shooting videos of friends and later music videos for local rappers such as Lil B. Her videos caught the attention of dean Patrick Kriwanekhe, and she attended Berkeley Digital Film Institute with a full scholarship for two semesters. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music video career. Her manager Chioke McCoy, whom she met while directing a video for DB tha General, encouraged her take on a music career of her own.

Kreayshawn performed in the hip hop group the White Girl Mob (WGM). The group included her friends Vanessa "V-Nasty" Reece and Jordan "Lil Debbie" Capozzi. While Kreayshawn sometimes refers to Lil Debbie and V-Nasty as her cousins or sisters, they are not biologically related. The White Girl Mob, after many disputes, disbanded in 2012. However, the entire White Girl Mob crew appears in Kreayshawn's video "Go Hard (La.La.La)".

2010–present: "Gucci Gucci", Somethin' 'Bout Kreay, and pregnancy
In 2010, Kreayshawn released her first mixtape, "Kittys x Choppas", as well as her first music video for the song "Bumpin' Bumpin'". On May 16, 2011, she released a music video for her single "Gucci Gucci", which generated nearly three million views on YouTube in the first three weeks. "Gucci Gucci", according to Kreayshawn, is a song coaxing people to wear their own styles and not succumb to being "basic bitches". The popularity of her "Gucci Gucci" video caught the attention of several record labels, and Kreayshawn quickly signed a contract with Columbia Records. Kreayshawn's management was contacted by the label representing the Red Hot Chili Peppers about directing a music video for the band's single, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" (from the album, "I'm with You"). In August 2011, Billboard ranked Kreayshawn number 34 on their Social 50 chart for her presence on social media.

Kreayshawn sparked controversy during a Tinychat freestyle, wherein she insulted rapper Rick Ross by calling him "fake." She later retracted her statements and described it as a misunderstanding; however, a few days following her statement, Kreayshawn continued making negative remarks about Ross's body weight, once again calling him "fake" and stating that "he can't rap." These remarks eventually led to Rick Ross verbally threatening Kreayshawn and her manager Chioke "Stretch" McCoy entourage during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. She was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, but lost the category to Tyler, the Creator. She also hosted the Red Carpet event. The same night, nude pictures of herself were leaked via her Twitter being hacked. She claimed the photos were taken when she was underage.

In July of 2011, Kreayshawn's first physical release, "Nattymari presents Kreayshawn and Sortahuman Murder in Memphis Vol 1", came out on cassette tape via Clan Destine Records. Produced by Nattymari with features by V-Nasty and Yung Hawaii Slim among others, the release was limited to 100 copies and celebrated Memphis' culture of murky, underground rap distributed via tape. Side A of the tape is available for free online via clothing company Mishka NYC, while the instrumental side B is tape exclusive.

In 2012, Kreayshawn was nominated for the O Music Awards.

Kreayshawn's debut studio album, Somethin' 'Bout Kreay was released for digital download on September 14, 2012 under Columbia Records in the United States. It was released on CD elsewhere on September 25, 2012. The singles, "Breakfast (Syrup)", featuring 2 Chainz, and "Go Hard (La.La.La)" precede the album. A music video was released for "Blasé Blasé" exclusively through HungerTV.

On May 4, 2013, Kreayshawn announced via her Instagram that she is expecting her first child.

Musical style and controversy
Kreayshawn was influenced to rap by the Spice Girls and Missy Elliott. Critics of her music cite cultural appropriation and "exploitation of African American culture." West coast rapper Game released a diss track entitled, "Uncle Otis", containing lyrics criticizing Kreayshawn for her alleged use of the word 'nigga'; though she has never used the word in her music. She has also expressed frustration at repeatedly having to account for her friend V-Nasty's use of the word.

Mixtapes

 * Kittys x Choppas (2010)
 * Nattymari presents Murdered in Memphis (cassette tape) (2011)
 * Kreayshawn x The Bay (2011)
 * Young, Rich, & Flashy (2012)