Zamata has performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City since 2009. Zamata co-starred in the ABC News hidden camera series Primetime: Would You Fall For That? She was a cast member on MTV's series Hey Girl. Zamata has also appeared in sketches on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Inside Amy Schumer. She stars in the webseries Pursuit of Sexiness. Additionally, she has appeared in sketches for CollegeHumor.
Zamata debuted on SNL as a featured player in the January 18, 2014 episode hosted by Drake, in which she impersonated Rihanna. She was promoted to repertory player in the first episode of Season 41. Some of her recurring characters include Janelle, a teenage girl who hosts a YouTube channel called How 2 Dance with Janelle but is unaware of how her developing sexuality is coming off to viewers, and Keeley, a contestant on an African-American centric version of Jeopardy! called Black Jeopardy! Some of her Celebrity impressions have included the aforementioned Rihanna, Michelle Obama, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce Knowles, Solange Knowles, Diana Ross, Lupita Nyong'o, and Taraji P. Henson. She left the show in 2017 after the season finale of season 42.
Zamata was named a Celebrity ambassador to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2015, and began work with the Women's Rights Project. The ACLU Women's Right's project seeks to break down gender biases and "ensure equal economic opportunities, educational equity, and an end to gender-based violence". She has spoken out on gender discrimination in the U.S. today, and has advocated for equal rights among women of color, in particular. In an interview with Allure Magazine, Zamata opened up about her experiences with discrimination and colorism. Though often stigmatized for her darker skin tone, she hopes to turn her experiences into a message of self-acceptance and body positivity for women in all shades.
