Princess Nokia, 24, is giving the finger to the pre-packaged music machine of today. In an era where heavily syndicated singles are here today and gone tomorrow, comes a subterranean MC carrying a razor blade for a tongue and brown girl blues for a song. Her latest 9-track effort is so authentic to the game, she’s giving it to you for free.
Nokia, né Destiny Frasqueri, set loose an EP backdropped with her native Harlem world. Like thumbing through an old photo album, 1992 brings snippets of Nokia’s surroundings into full view. Sounds plucked from a vintage New York and the physical landmarks that shaped her childhood are made palpable in songs like “Bart Simpson,” “Green Line,” and “Tweety Bird Freestyle.” Then there’s the Afro-Boricua’s intricately woven threads of #blackgirlmagic and #browngirlfly in songs like “Kitana,” “Brujas,” and “Mine,” which pays homage to mamis everywhere rocking a sick weave or hair extensions.
“I was drawing on a lot of experiences that really shaped me but still really relate to who I am as a person,” she told Trackrecord, who created a moving visual collage of Nokia’s album. Check it:
Images courtesy of Alberto Vargas.