The Rej3ctz are an American hip-hop and electronic music group that originated from California's party scene, and rose to prominence in late 2010 with their single "Cat Daddy", and its eponymous dance, which became a viral phenomenon, reaching more than 90 million views on YouTube as of October 2023.
History
The group hit the music scene in 2009 with their underground hit "Rej3ct Stomp", and later with a dance called "Rej3ct".[1] Their second record, "I'm Fitted", sampled Kris Kross song "Jump", which reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992.[1][2] The viral video for the song, which the group stated "showcased their eccentric style, comedy and individual characters", have reached over 200,000 hits on YouTube.[3] The group made their television debut on BET's 106 & Park 10th Anniversary Special alongside Chris Brown.[4][5] They have also appeared on The Mo'Nique Show.[6]
The group rose to prominence in late 2010 when they released the single "Cat Daddy". The music video for the song, which promoted the dance of the same name, featured American artist Chris Brown. The song became a viral phenomenon, with the video reaching over 70 million views on YouTube, and the single charting at No.97 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also appeared at No.77 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. According to Thomas Clayton of The Daily Rind, the song had 14,000 downloads on iTunes in its first week and the video had 9 million pageviews at the time.[7]
Kate Upton, who in February 2012 was the cover model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, recorded a video of the Dougie that went viral and garnered over 5 million hits in April 2011.[8][9][10] She announced her intention to release a video performance of the Cat Daddy when she served as Grand Marshal for the 2012 Daytona 500.[11] The video of Upton dancing on a break between photo shots was posted online on April 30.[12] After garnering close to 1 million hits in the first 24 hours,[8] YouTube banned her version of the dance from their site for being too risqué,[13] but it was restored later with an age restriction.[8][12][14]
November 11, 2012 they released the CR33ZTAPE, which featured original music and collaborations with some of the top artists and producers in HipHop like DJ Carnage, DJ Mustard, T-Pain, TY$, and more; which also includes single "Peta Griffin".[15]
The Rej3ctz released a video for "Solid", off of CR33ZTAPE, which "displays a variety of imagery focusing on politics, like highlights from the campaign speeches from President Obama and First LadyMichelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention. They campaigned throughout college campuses to raise awareness and register voters.[16] Bounc3, via MTV news, urged fans to turn up to vote.[17]
In 2012 they were a part of the cast that included Snoop Dogg, YG, The New Boyz, and more for the film, We the Party.[18] The Rej3ctz were also featured in the film School Dance written by Nick Cannon and Nile Evans in 2014.[19]
They collaborated with Dillon Francis for track "All That" with Twista which was also used to help promote the movie Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse which was released on October 30, 2015.[20] The song was also used as the recap for America’s Best Dance Crew season 8 finale.
In 2012 they began experiencing issues with their label head, Seven Aurelius, eventually ending in a lawsuit.[21]
The Rej3ctz are expected to release their mixtape Homeless Billionaires early 2016.[22]
According to TMZ, The Rej3ctz' member Jovan "Pee W33" Clayton was arrested in October 2018 for an outstanding domestic battery charge.[23]
^Long, Mark (February 26, 2012). "Fox to begin contract negotiations with NASCAR". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2012. She really could have turned things up a notch had she decided to dance. Last year, a video of Upton dancing the 'Dougie' at a Los Angeles Clippers game went viral and increased her popularity. 'I learned a new one, the 'Cat Daddy,'' Upton told The Associated Press. 'I can't wait to throw that one out. I did it the other day on a shoot in my cover bikini, so who knows.'(subscription required)
