Destiny Rogers celebrates her roots in the official video for “West Like,” featuring Los Angeles rapper Kalan.FrFr.
Shot in South Central L.A., the video was heavily inspired by Rogers’ West Coast upbringing in a Mexican household. It begins with what Rogers calls “a typical scene at home,” where her mom and grandma are in the kitchen cooking, questioning her about her plans for the day. Rogers—who’s rocking a classic West Coast outfit with an oversized jersey, gold hoop earrings, and pressed khakis—reassures her mom she’ll be back in a short while, and then proceeds to hit the neighborhood streets.
“The woman playing my grandma in the video is actual family,” Rogers said about the opening skit, “and we were able to get the legendary Lil Rob to play my uncle which was crazy, because I have so much respect for him.”
We then see Rogers and Kalan.FrFr on their lowrider bikes cruising the streets lined with palm trees. They eventually make their way to a backyard party, which Rogers says is reminiscent of her family gatherings.
“The party scene in the backyard was just like one of our family cookouts and picnics we used to have on the weekends,” she said. “On set, Kalan.FrFr was actually really grilling at the shoot which was hella tight. We had so much fun working on this record and at the shoot together.”
Of course, there are also a few lowrider scenes, which feature a cameo from Orange Is the New Black star Jackie Cruz.
“I remember growing up watching my cousins pull up in the streets with their cars, blasting old school hip-hop and we would gather around them outside and just kick it,” Rogers said about the lowrider shots. “Director Zhamak Fullad did an incredible job capturing that West Coast feeling and the pride that people from Cali have. I love this video so much.”
You can check out the video for The Stereotypes-produced “Like West” above, as well as behind-the-scene photos below. The song, released through Beach Wave Sound/RCA Records, is available on streaming platforms here.
Rogers says she is looking forward to the rest of 2021, as she spent last year’s lockdown working on new material and collaborations.
“I can’t wait for those new records to drop,” she said. “I also recently shot a video and print campaign for the biggest brand in the world, which was a dream come true that will be coming out soon. I can’t wait to do live performances again and share with everyone what I’be been working so hard on these past two years.”
