Rhyon Pays Homage to Tupac on Debut Single 'California'

Rhyon knows how to party.

Inspired by Tupac Shakur’s classic “California Love,” the multi-talented singer-actress unleashes her Harmony Samuels-produced debut single “California,” an ode to her hometown of Los Angeles.

Set in a desert, just like the Mad Max-inspired original, which featured Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, the self-directed video finds Rhyon dancing with friends, lounging by a lowrider, and sporting a Tupac-influenced bandana.

In between scenes, Rhyon can be seen dancing with images of L.A. flashing across the screen. Meanwhile, the song’s lyrics also call back to the original, with a nod to a modern day California king.

“Keep ‘Pac on the stereo,” she sings. “Kendrick Lamar on the radio / And even when you turn it off, Dre keep the Beats in my head, though.”

“I wanted to pay tribute to my hometown and the great artists that came before me that share the same love for my city that I do,” Rhyon tells Rap-Up. “I think it’s important for every new artist to do that. Being from California has molded me so much as an artist, so what better way to introduce myself than by sampling one of my favorite hip-hop records to date, and my producer Harmony Samuels, is a genius when it comes to flipping a record. So we did it and made a pretty fire video, if I may say so myself.”

“California” is the first single from Rhyon’s upcoming album Pretty Girl, which is scheduled to drop this fall on BOE Music Group/Priority Records. In the meantime, find the actress, whose credits include Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and Surviving Compton, on BET and Irv Gotti’s “Tales.”