Artist Close-Up: Princess Nokia Goes For Emo- Experimentation

Princess Nokia’s new mixtape is a SHOCK. Going emo-rock is a twist for the rapper and her fans, but I am for it, especially because being a rising artist is when you should MOST exude your experimentation. A Girl Cried Red turns this Hip Hop stars into an all-in-one Blink 182.

At times, we worry so much about coming up that we do not even think about how we will stay? It is like killing yourself to get through a door, but never questioning how you are going to turn this new house you enter into your permanent home. Princes Nokia has garnered so much buzz because A) SHE IS TALENTED! B) She has proven that she has conviction, and fearless integrity feels attractive and new in a world that flip flops its adoration. Nokia makes it clear what she likes, expanding her emotional and music horizons, and does not like, i.e. sexists and racists, and A Girl Cried Red flips her from punching verses against hate and prejudice to showing that hurt simply hurts.

From Elliot Smith to Paramore, Princess Nokia had a lot of influences, and you can see it in her voice. She has transformed it in sound and style to match the dampness of emo-pop/rock. For however much this genre perks up, it is all about life’ downers, and feeling like, even in an indoor party, a dark cloud is thundering over you. For that there is certain, vocal annotation used that smashes playfulness with pain, and Princess Nokia does both very well. “Flowers And Rope”, “Look Up Kid”, and “At The Top” feel like sonic homages to everything we love about emo-punk melodies. She is tipping her hat to the likes Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte, while simmering their sounds into an acoustic earthiness that is Princess Nokia. Sonically, she is always accessible, rich, and grounded; like a sea of unearthed, precious jewels.

Admittedly, if you were expecting Hip Hop Kween from Princess Nokia, you are not going to get it in this record. Instead, this album truly is for her, which I admire, and celebrates her desire to show she is multi-faceted in the same way she is multi-talented. If you are up for Princess Nokia’s new ride, then you can Click Here to buy A Girl Cried Red.