NYC artist, filmmaker, DJ, and tastemaker Vashtie Kola, has just dropped an “art film” set to Drake’s late-night rendezvous ode “Hotline Bling.”
Directed, written and starring Vashtie, she’s joined by Highly Suspect band member Johnny Venus, as her love interest, in a tangled sort of missed calls and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyles. Donning a white lingerie set, she becomes fed up with her rocker bae’s back-and-fourth games and finds herself in the arms (or lap) of another man, played by A$AP Mob’s A$AP Bari.
Explaining the direction for the inspiration, Vashtie wrote:
I wrote this story about “Lolita” in 2008 and, at the time, felt little connection to her. But, in the past year as my career and personal life have changed in (scary and exciting) ways I never could have predicted – I started to understand her. I found myself re-writing this piece, for exercise and therapy.
2015 is a time of “likes” and “followers” and “direct messages” and constant connection with strangers. But I wonder a lot: what do people really know about me? Or each other for that matter? And how far is that from reality? “Lolita” seems to have it all. Dom Perignon and opulence. Attention and adornment. But, as I’ve learned this past year, “seems” can’t really be trusted.
Thanks to Drake and to my friends for helping me make this.
Watch it all play out below.