Y’ALL, if you have not been put on to Princess Nokia, now YOU MUST.
She’s an articulate, beautiful, ratchet, magical, genuine, feisty, artist, rapper, singer, role model, feminist, metal lover, Afro-Latina Queen, Spiritual Goddess, and all around badass.
Plus, she’s woke AF, which is obvious.
Born Destiny Frasqueri, but commonly known by her alter ego “Princess Nokia,” and having grown up between the Bronx, Harlem, and Lower East Side, she’s easily seen ALL of what New York City has to offer, which includes the good, bad, and REAL AF.
In her 2016 documentary with The Fader, titled Destiny, she speaks about living through her mother’s death, to being raised by her sister, to then living in foster care until she ran away at age 16, to never looking back. Her fearless, bold, and powerful attitude shined through within that entire 16-minute documentary.
Her message in the doc is clear:
“So like I say at all these patriarchal male dominated events, all the mothafuckin’ girls to the front.”
I was first put on to Nokia when I was going through some shit and found myself laying in bed and stumbling upon her videos. NO LIE, after watching her “Tomboy” video, I was HOOKED. I instantly admired her carefree, yet empowering, attitude and quickly stepped out of my feelings by remembering who TF I was.
The song explains her body type as being similar to a tomboy because she has small breasts. However, it goes on to emphasize the fact that her small stature is mighty and powerful in every single right, as she sells out shows everywhere, solely based on her personality and outlook on life.
“My body little, my soul is heavy. My little titties be bookin’ cities all around the world . They be fucking wit’ me”
After that I spent HOURS watching the rest of her videos on her personal YouTube channel, along with other videos that she’s been in, such as “Princess Nokia in Conversation at Brown University” and a sit down with Ab-Soul, to name a few.
What resonated with me the most was the fact that I related to her unlike any other artist because I was able to take something away from each of her identities, as she meshes together so easily.
For starters, she’s an Afro-Latina from the Bronx, which is EXACTLY how I personally label myself.
Secondly, I’m a feminist in every sense of the word, so listening, and watching, her fight to be recognized as equally competent to men in her craft, while still being true to her core beliefs, spoke to my soul.
Thirdly, she takes pride in identifying the motherland (Africa) as the origin of EVERYTHING as it’s in her music, culture, and her spirituality.
Her overall sound, and vibes are a fusion of the nitty gritty NYC stomping grounds, her personal femininity that she gracefully emanates, and her feminism that she lives by, which simply consists of taking no shit from ANYONE, regardless of race, class, or gender.
For example, she had performed at Cambridge University and literally jumped in the audience to hit a guy who had uttered sexist remarks to her while she was performing.
It’s her multifaceted personality makes that her so relatable. To listen, and see, an artist showcase their versatility within 10 minutes of speaking is a testament to the type of art that she creates.
Nokia’s effortless transition between moods feels genuine. Her entire movement of having no labels, while still empowering women through various mediums, such as her Smart Girls Club podcast, makes her a force to be reckoned with.
Her verbiage and smooth method of articulating her every thought and emotion flows like the mixture of the beautiful trap fairy persona that she radiates.
When I hear her music and watch her interviews, it’s almost as if I take away something from different artists, both past, and present.
For example, her IDGAF ATTITUDE gives me Rihanna vibes, while her sweet depth and sensuality give me a SZA vibe. Then she switches into the raw, unafraid looks of Beyoncé, like in the “Hold Up” video.
Her musical genres fluctuate between hip-hop, to electronica, to rap, to almost everything in between. However, her depth is such that you won’t understand her in a 20-minute interview, but you want to keep learning more.
That’s what makes her even more amazing because she’s such a tantalizing individual that learning about her is an on going process.
There’s something profound about the conversations that come up JUST by asking someone if they’re into her. It’s not just “Did you hear her new song” or “wow she’s so physically attractive.”
Instead, there’s an entire list of what she represents that shines through in EVERYTHING she does.
That’s so dope, especially in an era where women are objectified constantly, let alone not respected as rappers and/or artists in comparison to men.
We all have a part of her in us, or at least can relate, because she brings together different genres and weaves them in a way that is both relatable and authentic.
In reality, that’s what NYC is, a melting pot that’s beautifully blended with different cultures and attitudes.