Princess Nokia: The Unapologetic Voice of Afro-Indigenous Rebellion
Princess Nokia is a shining example of raw, unfiltered authenticity in the heart of New York City’s underground scene, where hip-hop meets mysticism and feminism flares up like a Santería ritual. This Afro-Indigenous Puerto Rican artist, who was born Destiny Nicole Frasqueri on June 14, 1992, has turned her own pain into a musical revolution. Nokia’s journey from being in foster care to being a Grammy-nominated provocateur is a testament to her strength. She mixes trap beats with Taíno chants, riot grrrl energy with bruja bravado. As she gets ready to release her bold new album GIRLS this week, her story feels more important than ever—a defiant middle finger to the erasure of culture and the people who control the music industry.
Roots in Resilience: A Childhood Made Strong by Fire
Frasqueri’s roots are in the lively chaos of East Harlem and the Lower East Side. She lost her mother to AIDS when she was only two years old. This tragedy put her in foster care from the ages of nine to sixteen. Her foster mother abused her physically, which later inspired the strong independence in her music. In an interview, she said, “I was always writing rhymes as a way to escape.” Her words echoed the survival strategies of many women who have been pushed to the margins.
After being in foster care, Frasqueri moved in with her grandmother and got involved in New York’s queer nightlife, where she performed at gay clubs that became her first stage. She identifies as bisexual and says that the city’s LGBTQ+ community has shaped her worldview, which is a theme that runs through her music like a protective spell. Her Puerto Rican and Taíno heritage, which are often romanticized but rarely reclaimed in mainstream rap, became a big part of who she was. “YAYA” (2017) and other songs like it aren’t just songs; they’re ancestral anthems that use bomba rhythms to honor the women who fought to keep their culture alive.
From Wavy Spice to Nokia: The Beginning of a New Identity
Frasqueri’s rise to fame as a professional started in 2010 with the name Wavy Spice. She released her first single, “Destiny,” on SoundCloud. It was a gritty confession that showed how vulnerable she was under her bravado. In 2012, it made its way to YouTube, where it was followed by viral hits like “Bitch I’m Posh,” a hilarious takedown of fake posh people that got millions of views. These early releases, which were rough and unpolished, showed the DIY spirit of SoundCloud rap and made her a digital-age riot grrrl.
The switch to Princess Nokia happened in 2014, when she got the idea from the “Obama phone,” a Lifeline Program device from Nokia that showed how hard she worked to make ends meet. “It’s my alter ego,” she said, introducing the character with the song “Nokia.” That same year, she released her first studio album, Metallic Butterfly. It was a 17-track journey through dream pop, trap, and R&B. It was a hit with critics and fans when it came out on Vice and SoundCloud, and they loved how vulnerable it was. Next came the 2015 mixtape Honeysuckle (under her birth name Destiny), which went even deeper into emotional introspection.
The 1992 mixtape from 2016 was a big hit, and it grew into the 1992 Deluxe studio album from 2017. It reached No. 25 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and was named the 32nd best album of the year by NME. “G.O.A.T.,” “Tomboy,” “Brujas,” and “Kitana” became the misfits’ anthems—feminist manifestos set to bass-heavy pop music. Working with Ratking on “Puerto Rican Judo” made her even more of a link between underground rap and cultural criticism.
Beyond the Booth: Activism, Acting, and Other Personalities
Nokia has an effect that goes beyond music. She calls herself an intersectional feminist and co-founded the Smart Girls Club podcast with Milah Libin. The podcast talks about urban feminism and holistic health. Her activism is very real: In 2017, she punched a heckler at Cambridge University for making sexist comments, saying it was self-defense. That same year, she threw soup at a racist on a subway in Brooklyn. People who saw it cheered, and she later said it was to protect the community.
Nokia made her acting debut in the indie film Angelfish in 2019, where she played Eva. People praised her for how naturally intense she was. In 2022, she voiced LaBrea in Disney’s The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, giving the character her own unique edge. Her most recent role is as Rosa Fuentes in Highest 2 Lowest, a movie that had a premiere that Denzel Washington and Spike Lee went to. She was the face of Maison Margiela’s Mutiny fragrance (2018) and hosted The Voices in My Head radio show on Beats 1, where she shared personal stories about her life over six episodes.
In 2023, tragedy struck when her friend and backup dancer Tommy Playboy died. This made her even more passionate about mental health in the arts. But Nokia bounces back, and her 2025 single “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is a snarling reminder of her unbreakable spirit.
Legacy: A Bruja in the Mainstream
Princess Nokia has made a name for herself in both the commercial and confrontational worlds, with an estimated net worth of $1.5 million from streams, tours, merch, and endorsements. Awards like the 2018 A2IM Libera Breakthrough Artist nod show how important she is, and nominations for Sweden’s GAFFA Awards show how far her music has spread around the world.
As GIRLS comes out on October 10, it’s billed as a sisterhood saga with rumors of drama in the industry. Nokia is still the ultimate shape-shifter. She’s the foster child who changed the story, the Taíno descendant who took back her throne, and the bisexual bruja who cursed the patriarchy. People often say that this genre is too similar, but Princess Nokia doesn’t just rap; she brings things back to life. And in 2025, her voice is louder than ever.