Princess Nokia has spoken about the boundary-less nature of modern pop culture and the liberating effect it can have on artists.
The New York rapper discussed the melding of different genres and subcultures – something she has long done in her music – with NME for this week’s Big Read cover story.
“I think it’s really special that there’s less pressure for people of colour to fit into a mould,” she said. “And that’s all that any individual deserves to have: a chance at having a little bit more peace, a little bit more fun, a little bit more room.
“I know what it is to have people raise eyebrows at you for certain ideas or thoughts or set identity. I know what it’s like to feel confined. It’s a beautiful thing that art has transcended and young people get to be themselves and to explore themselves.”
In the feature, Princess Nokia – whose real name is Destiny Frasqueri – also talked about taking influence from Jennifer Lopez’s video for 1998 single ‘If You Had My Love’ on the visuals for her new track ‘It’s Not My Fault’.
“I always say [that video] is so ahead of its time, the imagery and the symbolism alone are just really fucking intellectual,” the star said. “It’s gag-worthy.”
‘It’s Not My Fault’ marked Frasqueri’s first release on her new label home of Sony, following years of releasing independently. Currently, the rapper is working on her next album and said she was “excited to elevate as an artist and continue to inspire through music with storytelling and colourful narrative” in her future.
The new record will follow last year’s simultaneous album drops ‘Everything Is Beautiful’ and ‘Everything Sucks’, which arrived on the same day in March 2020.
The post Princess Nokia on the freedom of modern pop culture: “It’s really special there’s less pressure for people of colour to fit into a mould” appeared first on NME.
