Iraqi born, alt hip hop artist WHO SHOT SCOTT shares new single ‘LIL BIT OF HOT’
WHO SHOT SCOTT, the alt hip-hop project of Iraqi-born, New Zealand-raised artist and producer Zaidoon Nasir shares contagious new single ‘LIL BIT OF HOT’.
Nasir's journey began at just two years old, when he and his mother fled war-torn Iraq, eventually resettling in New Zealand. Growing up as an Arab kid in a Western society, he grappled with the complexities of dual identity. "I was too Iraqi to be fully Kiwi, and too Kiwi to be fully Iraqi," he reflects. This sense of isolation led him to songwriting, recording ideas on his grandmother's old tape recorder at the age of eight. A shared love of hip-hop with a close friend blossomed into an internationally performing duo, but in 2019, everything changed. When his musical partner suddenly left to pursue a new path, Nasir was left reeling. He channeled his pain into a new identity—emerging as WHO SHOT SCOTT, an experimental hip-hop artist.
WHO SHOT SCOTT's previous work such as his EP’s—MERCY, MERCY II, MERCY III, and BRAIN (SIDE A)—have received widespread acclaim for their “filthy and frantic experimental sound” and “fearless expression.” Recognised by Rolling Stone Australia as one of the Top 8 New Zealand artists poised for global success, Nasir’s music has been featured on MTV and Spotify, synced across TV networks and commercials, and gained international airplay, charting on North American College Radio. His live performances have captivated audiences at major festivals, including BIGSOUND, SXSW Sydney, and Music Matters Singapore, where he’s shared stages with icons like Snoop Dogg and Yung Gravy. In addition to his work as WHO SHOT SCOTT, Nasir is a rising force in music production, curating tracks such as JessB’s ‘POWER’ featuring Sister Nancy and Sampha The Great.
Nasir draws on an eclectic range of influences, from Tame Impala and Rick Rubin to visual artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. "During the writing and recording of this project, I immersed myself in Basquiat and Warhol’s anti-conformist ethos," he shares. "That spirit is deeply ingrained in this project."
WHO SHOT SCOTT returns with his angsty new single, ‘LIL BIT OF HOT’, a dynamic fusion of alt hip-hop, rap, and punk. The track playfully explores an emotional connection Nasir had with a girl who was “extremely sweet, kind, and sincere.” As Nasir explains, "At the time, I had just gotten out of what I considered to be an extremely toxic relationship and was still weirdly attached to the false ideas and habits that had been ingrained in my psyche as a result." The single reflects on a moment of regret, yet also embraces the understanding that healing was necessary and that everything happens for a reason.
Like all of WHO SHOT SCOTT’s work, it comes from a primal place, leading to intense vocal performances packed with raw emotion. “I let myself fully unleash—all the anger, confusion, and pain went into the music,” he says. Nasir lets his inspiration come from within, without the pressures of external influences, which he has learned to do due to his newfound practice of transcendental meditation. This practice has allowed him to create music defined by complete experimentation and rule breaking. “I made a conscious decision to trust my intuition, allowing my gut instincts to guide my creative choices rather than overthinking them,” Nasir explains. “WHO SHOT SCOTT is the first time in my life where I feel completely honest and true to my identity and perspective.”
‘A LIL BIT OF HOT’ was entirely written and produced by Nasir. He plays almost all of the instruments on his singles, deliberately embracing the ‘imperfect’ live performance element in an era dominated by laptops, pre-made loops, and beats.
