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November 05, 2022 - 6:05 PM
It was 11 years ago when Dollah D dropped the hit single that would define what it means to be from Kelowna.
Kelownafornia has since become a local cultural phenomenon.
“Kelowna-forn-I-A – the sunset city where the players play,” the song goes.
When it was first released, the Kelowna musician – whose real name is Darren Ramsay – can remember it was so popular he would hear it playing from car stereos as he walked down the street.
“I made it in the top six at six on Sun FM,” he recalled. “Then eventually throughout the week I got voted number one. I ended up taking Rhianna out of first place.”
READ MORE: Comedy duo sings hilarious song about Kelowna's stereotypes
Kelownafornia was created while Ramsay was working with musicians from Los Angeles while recording an album called Go Funk Yourself as a member of the Street Kingz.
Anyone can appreciate the similarities between cultures in California and the Okanagan – laid-back attitudes and an abundance of beaches to go with all the great summer weather.
While Ramsay was down there, he was listening to a song called Only in Cali, by XL Middleton and Young Sau, which embraces the unique aspects of Californian culture.
That’s the track that inspired it all.
Only in Cali uses its title as a catchy hook and listeners will notice the similar groove to Kelownafornia.
But it’s not just the song Kelownafornia that captures the essence of the city – it's the music video, which has accumulated more than 160,000 views.
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The video presents the classic dichotomy of rappers who are dressed like hoodrats, yet surrounded by symbols of affluence. The crowd is women who are mostly wearing swimsuits, and men who are either topless or wearing oversized t-shirts, while they party at a waterfront property on Okanagan Lake.
“To me, in a nutshell, that’s pretty much what we are,” Ramsay said. “We like to have a good time – the beaches, the music, the ladies, the dudes.”
On the day of the shooting, a production crew was ready to go after travelling from Vancouver, but "everything backfired," resulting in a last minute casting call for extras, leaving Ramsay feeling somewhat panicked, he recalled.
“I didn’t know if people were going to show.”
But, as documented in the music video, quite a few people showed up to play the part of partygoer.
“I remember it was a long day and it was hot out, but everyone was having fun.”
However, he admitted the solo cups were all empty.
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Nowadays, Ramsay is a loving husband and a father of four. His oldest was featured in a cameo at the end of Kelownafornia.
His musical alter-ego, Dollah D, hasn’t been active in about five years, he said, aside from a few quiet little projects at home.
As for the other two rappers featured in the Kelownafornia – Phillie Tha Kyd remains active on social media while Profreshnill appears to have fallen into obscurity.
As he looks back 11 years after the rise of his hit song, Ramsay said he has no regrets about any of it.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
— This story was corrected at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2022 to say Kelownafornia was recorded with musicians from Las Angeles, but Dollah D was not in California at the time.
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