(Whether or not she ordered fish filet is anyone’s guess.)

Tonight, Oakland, Calif., rapper Kreayshawn (Natassia Zolot) will be taking the stage of Towson’s Recher Theatre. The venue can hold up to 630 people, but according to Recher’s booking agent Will McCrory, only 200 tickets have been sold so far.

Would this have been the case if the show took place at this time last year?

Kreayshawn was an unknown until she made waves on the Internet after debuting her song “Gucci Gucci,” an extremely catchy, yet whacked-out ode to rejecting designer products, in May 2011. The song’s music video amassed millions of YouTube views in a matter of weeks and helped Kreayshawn land a $1 million contract with Columbia Records.

She was the new thing. She collaborated with rappers such as 2 Chainz and Kid Cudi; she toured with Neon Indian and almost directed a Red Hot Chili Peppers video.

But by the time Kreayshawn released her full-length album, Somethin’ ‘Bout Kreay, in September, much of that hype had dissipated. While the album has some standout songs such as the aforementioned “Gucci Gucci” and the thumping anthem “Summertime (feat. V-Nasty),” the majority of the record falls flat. It was poorly received by critics and sold a minuscule 3,900 records in its first week, according to online publication Hip Hop 365.

There’s no doubt Kreayshawn still retains some popularity. She’s currently on a nationwide tour, titled the Group Hug Tour, with fellow rappers Rye Rye, Honey Cocaine and Chippy Nonstop. McCrory foresees more tickets for the Recher show will sell at the door, but there’s a possibility Kreayshawn is just one of many artists who failed to live up to her own hype.

This pattern isn’t uncommon these days. Artists gets “discovered” on the Internet and either manages to live up to the surrounding buzz or fails to meet the expectations critics and audiences impose upon them. It’s a strange pattern that can leave artists who are praised for their uniqueness and talent virtually forgotten within a year.

The involvement of major record labels also makes the situation tricky. While Kreayshawn started out as an underground rap darling, signing to a major label took her out of the world of independent music and placed her in the mainstream. Would she have fared better or worse if she had remained an unsigned artist? She might have received less criticism, but she also could have been floundering in the world of the unknown by now.

Some artists are able to navigate the Internet fame. For example, New York hip-hop act Azealia Banks drew attention for the black and white YouTube video for her song “212.” (Apparently YouTube really is the way to get discovered these days.) Banks’ ascent in popularity is similar to Kreayshawn’s — she signed to a major label, Interscope Records. But so far, Banks has yet to receive any serious backlash or criticism the way Kreayshawn has.

There doesn’t seem to be any definite solution to this cycle. In the case of Kreayshawn, it seems like a major label invested in her but then waited too long to release an actual album. While Kreayshawn can make a fun rap song, it’s possible she doesn’t possess enough talent to secure her place in the music industry. But it’s difficult to dismiss an artist based on the strength of one album.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what Kreayshawn does next. And attempt to get “Gucci Gucci” out of our heads.

Kreayshawn will be playing at the Recher Theatre in Towson tonight. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $17.50 for 21 and up, $18.50 for under 21.

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