Princess Nokia
Destiny Nicole Frasqueri[13] (born June 14, 1992),[14] known professionally as Princess Nokia, is an American rapper and songwriter. She[a] released her debut studio album, Metallic Butterfly,[15] in 2014, followed by the 2015 mixtape Honeysuckle.[16] As Princess Nokia, she rose to prominence for her 2017 studio album 1992 Deluxe.[17] She released another mixtape, titled A Girl Cried Red,[18] in 2018, followed by the release of two studio albums, Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful, in 2020.[19]
Early life[edit]
Frasqueri identifies as Afro-Indigenous[20] and is of Puerto Rican descent.[21][22] When Frasqueri was ten, she lost her mother to AIDS.[23] Between the ages of nine and sixteen, she was in foster care, during which her foster mother was physically abusive.[23] After Frasqueri left foster care, she went to live with her grandmother.[24][23] She subsequently started writing rhymes.[25] Frasqueri lived around East Harlem and the Lower East Side of New York City at the time.[25]
Artistry[edit]
Nokia's musical style has been described as "experimental" and "eagerly floating between genres such as rap, soul, rock and house."[44] She lists rappers MC Lyte and Queen Latifah, girl group TLC, singer Shakira, as well as nu metal bands Korn and Slipknot as musical influences.[49][50] Nokia also cites hardcore, punk, and rave cultures as influences for her performances.[51]
Personal life[edit]
Frasqueri identifies as bisexual and has stated such in a past interview and has also talked about how growing up near the queer community of New York City was an important part of her life. The early stages of Princess Nokia's musical career began through performing at gay clubs, as she gained popularity among the gay nightlife scene.[52][53][54] She also identifies as a gender non-conforming person and uses both they/them and she/her pronouns.[55][56]
Frasqueri is a strong supporter of intersectional feminism, founding the Smart Girl Club with Milah Libin, a podcast where she discusses healthy living and urban feminism.[57][58][59][60] She is a practitioner of Santería, and has shared her own experience with clairvoyance and spirituality that she infuses her music with.[61]
In 2017, Frasqueri punched a male concertgoer at the University of Cambridge, who she accused of mouthing "dirty obscenities" at her.[62] She later told the crowd that "that's what you do when a white boy disrespects you".[57] Later that year, a video of a woman throwing hot soup in a man's face who was calling "a group of teenage boys" a racial slur whilst on a subway journey to Brooklyn surfaced.[63] Frasqueri took responsibility for the incident, saying that "everybody on the train backed [her] up".[64]
In 2023, Frasqueri's former backup dancer and friend, Tommy Playboy, died after being hit by a train in New York City.[65][66][67]