Songfacts®:

• Kheaven Brereton, who records under the name of k-os, is a Canadian alternative hip-hop artist and record producer. His stage name is an acronym for "Knowledge of Self." This song is the third single from his fourth album, Yes!.
• The song features Canadian rapper Saukrates and singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It samples "California" by Phantom Planet.
• K-os explained to Jam! Music that though he is a fan of Natalie Portman, this song is more about her homeland than anything else. "I think Natalie Portman is the best America has to offer, the ideal that America has to offer," said k-os. "I think it's my subversive thing on, 'Go south, Kevin.' I was afraid of America for a long time. When I toured, I opened for a band called Gym Class Heroes, and it was the first time I went to Alabama, Oklahoma, New Orleans. It blew my mind because I had considered myself a fairly well-read, intelligent person (but I ) had all these preconceived notions about America based on press and I was meeting amazing people every time, every night, so that and Obama becoming president, totally made me cut ties with fear of America. So I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman over this California beat is kind of like I'm ready to sort of immerse myself in that. Maybe it's not really necessarily about being a superfan of a beautiful woman."
• Artist Direct asked k-os if Natalie Portman has heard this track. He replied: "She has! A friend of mine who works for Entertainment Tonight in Canada was interviewing her for the Toronto Film Fest. At the end of the interview, he was like, 'Have you heard of K-Os?' She responded, 'Yes, I have.' So he said, 'Do you know he has a song called, "I wish I knew Natalie Portman?'" She laughed in a humble but embarrassed way about it. She knows the song exists. It was cool of my friend to ask her that."