Kreayshawn, the Bay Area’s breakout star behind the viral hit “Gucci Gucci,” makes her long-awaited Mosswood Meltdown debut. Although Kreayshawn has delivered a handful of DJ gigs and single-serving performances of her hit single, this is our hometown girl’s first full live performance in quite some time.
Kreayshawn was kind enough to give the East Bay Express a few words in between her lowkey jetset life of checking out estate sales and DJing on the wing of a grounded 747 somewhere in the outskirts of Oregon. The discussion ranged from her current favorite pizza—garlic, honey and goat cheese, she swears by it—to her upcoming performance at Mosswood, where she’ll join a trifecta finale featuring Shannon and the Clams, and Bratmobile.
“I’m doing it for nostalgia,” Kreayshawn says. “It’s time. My mom had played Mosswood a few years back with her group [the Trashwomen], and it was good. I was contacted about playing, and I pretty much answered ‘yes’ on the spot.”
Knowing John Waters was on board for Mosswood was another key incentive for her joining the roster. “Cry-Baby [1990] … I LOVE Cry-baby,’ Kreayshawn says. Pink Flamingos (1972) also receives her exuberant praise.
Kreayshawn’s passion for film and keen skills behind the camera go way back. Born Natassia Gail Zolot and raised in San Francisco, she procured her first video-recording device at age 10 and never stopped creating. She moved to the East Bay in her early teens and studied film for a brief period at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute. She’s also directed several music videos, including the original version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” in 2011—her version was exchanged last minute by a live performance of the song.
Considered by many to be ahead of her time both artistically and with regards to music promotion, Kreayshawn effectively used the internet and social media to expose and promote her music directly, bypassing commercial and mass-market interference.
While she claims “nostalgia,” it really wasn’t all that long ago when Kreayshawn had the world in her pocket with her hit 2011 single, “Gucci Gucci.” Also around that time she had a Lil Wayne joint-effort remix, collab with 2 Chains, heavy representation on MTV, her songs featured in hit shows like Entourage, plus a great many other spoils to add to her already swollen resume of superstar status. But while slowing down a bit since then, she still makes music along with playing DJ gigs and perfecting her website, smile.rip—currently her main portal of expression.
Ironically, Kreayshawn describes herself as a “Lazy Libra.”
Although she “hates picking favorites,” Kreayshawn named Missy Elliot and Lil Wayne as artists she admires, along with a very respectful commendation for pioneer rapper Kool Keith, of the Ultra-Magnetic MCs, mainly for his prolific and versatile abilities. A “life-changing” moment for Kreayshawn’s career came in 2010, when she was brought on stage to perform with MIA. She also fondly recalls performing at a festival that featured a fellow Mosswood Meltdown act for this year: L’Trimm, a group she “can’t wait to see” at this year’s festival.
