Princess Nokia is about to open your eyes to the world and what's really going on around you.
Princess Nokia a.k.a Destiny Nicole Frasqueri a.k.a Wavy Spice has made, well, names for herself as the queen of underground music. Born in Manhattan, Frasqueri made her way from East Harlem to the Lower East Side until finally landing in the Bronx. This tiny, soft-spoken New Yorker packs a lyrical punch with her melodic hip-hop sound — bringing feminist, non-binary, good-vibes beauty to every instrumental she gives words.
She lost her mother at a young age and still draws on the significance of motherless characters (think Disney princesses). She also honors her culture and community as major influences on her craft and style — a style that fluctuates from day to day. She gives mesmerizing performances as seen in her AFROPUNK FEST 2014 performance. She undertakes a more masculine presence for her "Tomboy" video, then embraces her powerful feminine persona in her "Young Girls."
R29 sat down with Frasqueri as she spoke about the importance of having female community, the sad cultural shift of her neighborhood, and how she is able to mix multiple genres into her sound.