(Photo: Andreas Larsson)
Back in the day, before Rev Run was hanging at Hooters with Kid Rock, Run DMC was hollaring at their Adidas shelltoes. Nelly gave his Air Force Ones their own video. Lil Mama bigged it up to her shiny smile. And now Kid Sister (the rapper, not the female version of My Buddy -- don't get it twisted) is the next artist in a long historical succession to exalt her accessories, shouting out her tight tips, in her new video, 'Pro Nails.'
Before blowing up the Chicago rap scene, Kid Sister, born Melissa Young, did serious time doing menial jobs -- she slung beers, bologna, baby bibs and hyper-scented Bath and Body Works products. Now the M.I.A.-meets-Kelis mash-up is jet setting around the world, with back-up from Kanye West, who drops a verse on 'Pro Nails'; her brother, J2K of Flosstradamus; and indie label Fool's Gold, owned by DJ-blogger-cum-producer Nick Catchdubs and DJ A-Trak -- Kid Sister's boyfriend (they started dating after they began working together) and brother of Chromeo's Dave 1 (Artist Of The Week alum -- holla back).
The video, directed by Ruben Fleischer, one of the creators of Rob & Big, went down in a real nail salon with actual manicurists and MySpace-recruited "finger dancers," though the real star is, of course, Kid Sister herself, whose album is scheduled for release in 2008.
Read more about the video shoot at ChicagoReader.com.