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andy milonakis selects

Kreayshawn thugpop rhymes from a dope west coast princess

DAZED

Comedian rapper Andy Milonakis: “Kreayshawn is an alien thug princess from planet Trapton 5 and her music brings colourful animated sound molecules to one’s ears. I like to think she has ‘Kreated’ a whole new genre, let’s call it THUGPOP. Her mission is to help earthlings find their inner thug and so far she is succeeding in spades. If you ever get to meet this wonderful princess, make sure not to stare directly at her colourful tattoos because they will put you in a trance, and you will be forever lost in Cartoon Town. That is where the corporate bunnies live... and they don’t like visitors.”

Kreayshawn is a 21-year-old rapper from LA with a passion for Hello Kitty products and smoking mad blunts. Her first song “Bumpin Bumpin” became an instant YouTube hit last autumn – an infectious dance track with Kreayshawn rapping nonsense over a trance beat: “Rockin in the club, catchmeonaelephant/young Kreayshawn grimy but I feel so elegant”. It’s one of those songs where you can’t work out if it’s serious or not, but you can’t stop listening. “I feel like people watch the video with a Rebecca Black vibe,” says the pint-sized singer. “They’re like, ‘Is this girl making this song for real?! Does she really think this is cool?’ And I’m like, ‘Yo, Bumpin Bumpin is serious man. That’s a serious hit right there! That’s the swag!’”

Kreayshawn grew up in Oakland, and credits Spice Girls and her mother as major musical influences. “My mom was in an all-girl surf punk band back in the day called The Trashwomen,” she smiles. “I was writing punk songs with her when I was five years old, I played the violin growing up, and I started making freestyle mix tapes in the fifth grade, so music has always been a big part of my life.” She also claims to be inspired by the green. “Yeah, I smoke a lotta lotta lotta weed,” she says. “I have a couple of songs that are solely dedicated to smoking, like ‘God Bless This Doobie,’ and shit like that. I’m all about the weed.”

Kreayshawn also directs music videos, and has worked with rapper Lil B. At the moment, she’s recording her debut album, which she describes as “punch-a-bitch-in the-face moshpit rap”. “Someone who’s always inspired me is Kool Keith, you know, Dr Octagon,” she says. “I like his music because it’s funny but it’s also serious and straight-up good. That’s how I want my music to be. There’s a lot of darkness out there, but I’m looking to provide some light.”

Text KARLEY SCIORTINO Photography Dylan Forsberg bumpin Bumpin is out this month on House Anxiety Records