I'm into videos that make me go, "Uhhh" and K.Flay's latest for "Rawks" is 100% peculiar in all the right ways. Hinged on what sounds like an elastic vocal loop, the Illinois rapper's delivery is both super-chill and coolly confident, running over a series of faintly creepy visual non sequiturs—some involving cold cuts. Mmm. Lunch.
Noisey: Can you tell me a bit about the lyrical inspiration behind "Rawks?"
K.Flay: I've been wearing these boots for a while and I'm always getting rocks stuck in the treads. So that's where the chorus lyric began, and I guess rocks in shoes made me think of stones in pockets. I wanted to play with the notion of weight, to write a light hearted song about dark things.I'm into the surreal randomness of this video. Excellent use of cold cuts. What attracted you to this video pitch?Thanks. The cold cuts were really slimy and terrifying up close. Ben Fee directed the video and we wanted to create a visual that was stark and absurd on some level. He has a terrific eye for that sort of thing.Can you tell me a bit about the shoot. Were there any complications? How much paint did you accidentally swallow?
Oh God. It was mainly milk mixed with flour and food coloring. Paint seems like a worse thing to drink.Is that you in the flower mask with the hairless cat? Please describe the texture of that cat?It's not, but that cat is a legend! His name is Kingston and I would describe his texture as strange. We actually thought he escaped from the house during the shoot and I was on the verge of a panic attack, but then we found him hiding under an obscure table.You're heading on tour with Icona Pop—what can people expect from your live show?The live show is a mix of me rapping, singing, and hitting various things. I play with a drummer and a DJ. Our goal is to expend as much energy as possible in order to be able to eat chips everyday without remorse.What's next for you release-wise?I'm in LA right now recording a bunch of new things. I just left my record label last week, so I'm feeling pretty fucking good.K.FLay on tour with Icona Pop12.15 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
12.17 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
12.18 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
12.20 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
12.21 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
K.Flay: I've been wearing these boots for a while and I'm always getting rocks stuck in the treads. So that's where the chorus lyric began, and I guess rocks in shoes made me think of stones in pockets. I wanted to play with the notion of weight, to write a light hearted song about dark things.
Advertisement
Oh God. It was mainly milk mixed with flour and food coloring. Paint seems like a worse thing to drink.Is that you in the flower mask with the hairless cat? Please describe the texture of that cat?It's not, but that cat is a legend! His name is Kingston and I would describe his texture as strange. We actually thought he escaped from the house during the shoot and I was on the verge of a panic attack, but then we found him hiding under an obscure table.You're heading on tour with Icona Pop—what can people expect from your live show?The live show is a mix of me rapping, singing, and hitting various things. I play with a drummer and a DJ. Our goal is to expend as much energy as possible in order to be able to eat chips everyday without remorse.What's next for you release-wise?I'm in LA right now recording a bunch of new things. I just left my record label last week, so I'm feeling pretty fucking good.K.FLay on tour with Icona Pop12.15 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
12.17 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
12.18 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
12.20 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
12.21 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom