Princess Nokia

Biography

Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, professionally known as Princess Nokia, was born on June 14, 1992, in New York City to parents of Afro-Indigenous and Puerto Rican heritage.[1] Her early life was marked by significant hardship: her mother passed away when she was two years old, and from ages nine to sixteen, she spent time in foster care. Despite these challenges, she found solace in artistic expression, supported by her father—an actor who encouraged her creative pursuits—and her grandmother, who exposed her to classical music and culture by taking her to venues like Symphony Space and Carnegie Hall.[2] After leaving foster care, she moved in with her grandmother in neighborhoods including East Harlem and the Lower East Side, where she began writing her own rhymes and developing her musical voice.

Princess Nokia's professional music career began in 2010 when she released her first song, "Destiny," on SoundCloud under the stage name Wavy Spice, before adopting the moniker Princess Nokia—inspired by a Nokia phone she received through a government assistance program.[1] She released her debut studio album, Metallic Butterfly, in 2014, a prismatic project drawing from drum and bass and jungle sounds that showcased her exploration of multiple personas and identities.[2] Her breakthrough came with the 2017 album 1992 Deluxe, which reached number 25 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and earned critical acclaim from publications including NME, Noisey, and The Guardian.[4] In 2020, she released two contrasting albums simultaneously—Everything Sucks, characterized by energy and angst, and Everything Is Beautiful, which offered a warmer, more introspective sound.[1] Beyond music, Princess Nokia has expanded into acting, making her film debut in Angelfish in 2019, and has hosted an Apple Music Beats 1 Radio show titled "The Voice in My Head with Princess Nokia."[4]

As a New York-based feminist musician and activist, Princess Nokia has become a symbol of authenticity and possibility, working to make the rap scene more inclusive.[7] Her artistic journey reflects her multifaceted identity as a digital native, native New Yorker, and indigenous woman connected to Puerto Rican and Taíno culture. She maintains her independence as an entrepreneur and continues to amplify her voice across music, fashion, film, and activism, regularly selling out headline tours and accumulating tens of millions of streams.[4]

Fun Facts

• Princess Nokia's stage name was inspired by a Nokia phone she received through a government assistance program for low-income families, which she adopted as an alter ego representing a different side of her personality.[1]
• She grew up immersed in New York's underground nightlife scene, frequenting venues like Ninjasonik shows, Club Yes, and the Brooklyn Zoo, where she participated in all-night warehouse dance parties and rave culture in the late 2000s.[2]
• Despite never graduating high school, she was intellectually engaged with feminism, journalism, activism, and worked as a go-go dancer at age 16 while developing her artistic skills.[2]
• She released two contrasting albums on the same day in February 2020—Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful—representing different emotional and sonic perspectives, with critics noting the stark contrast between the energetic angst of one and the warm thoughtfulness of the other.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Her Father (Actor) - Supported her artistic pursuits from childhood despite her mother's early death (General artistic development and encouragement) [Childhood onwards]
• Her Grandmother - Provided cultural education and exposure to classical music venues after foster care (Took her to Symphony Space and Carnegie Hall) [Post-foster care through adolescence]
• Ease Da Man - Inspired her to pursue rap after watching him perform; she was writing raps in secret before publicly declaring her musical ambitions (Inspired her early rap writing) [Mid-2000s]
• Wiki (Ratking) - Boyfriend who introduced her to producer Christopher Lare (Owwwls) and connected her with the Letter Racer collective; provided musical re-inspiration (Introduction to production and artistic community) [2014]

Key Collaborators

• Christopher Lare (Owwwls) - Producer who worked with Princess Nokia on early projects; had previously produced for Azealia Banks (Metallic Butterfly and early productions) [2014 onwards]
• Letter Racer Collective - Artistic collective including Wiki where she collaborated on art, zines, and music (Various collaborative art and music projects) [Mid-2010s]

Artists Influenced

• Musical Influences (Stylistic) - Developed interest in experimental music as a teenager, moving from classical training to contemporary artists (CocoRosie, Björk, M.I.A., drum and bass, jungle, UK rave, punk, and hip hop) [Teenage years onwards]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Slumber Party (feat. Princess Nokia) (DEMIDEVIL)
2. I Like Him (Everything Sucks)
3. Drop Dead Gorgeous
4. Sugar Honey Iced Tea (S.H.I.T.) (Everything is Beautiful)
5. Tomboy (1992 Deluxe)
6. No Effort
7. Spit (Corpus I)
8. Gemini (Everything is Beautiful)
9. Spit
10. Harley Quinn (Everything Sucks)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #hip-hop, #r&b, #trap