Princess Nokia I Like Him Mp3 ~UPD~ Download
Ralf Roth
But some listeners are starting to side-eye the singer as she edges into cultural-appropriation territory. The latest criticism comes for Grande's new single and music video for "7 Rings," including the catchy refrain "You like my hair? / Gee thanks, just bought it," which she raps in a staccato flow reminiscent of Soulja Boy's "Pretty Boy Swag."
Ostensibly referring to Grande's famously long ponytail extensions, the lyrics also sound strikingly similar to the hook of Princess Nokia's track "Mine," an outspoken celebration of wigs, weaves, extensions, afros and other various ways black and brown women choose to wear their hair. In the vein of Solange's "Don't Touch My Hair," Nokia tells white onlookers that how she chooses to style herself is her business and her business only. "It's mine, I bought it / It's mine, I bought it," Nokia rhymes over a pop trap beat not unlike that of Grande's "7 Rings."
Hop in the whip, hop in the truck
I do whatever the fuck that I want
I'm not a ho, I'm not a slut
I like to fuck and I sure like to suck
I am that bold, freezy like ice
I'm not a wife, so talk to me nice
You ain't my type, I don't like you
You a broke boy, look at your shoes
I am the player and I am the pimp
All of them boys, make 'em the trick
All of them boys, they on my shit
But all of them boys, they make me sick
Dibble in this, and dibble in that
Get on his head like I am a brat
Play with his balls when he up to bat
Make daddy real proud like I'm Kyla Pratt
I'm taking a shower, he makin' the bed
When I leave the city, I leave him on read
Go get the next, like I get the bread
He coming with questions, I call him the feds
He let me plead the fifth
'Cause he know this box a gift
Eating breakfast, not at Tiff'
When I curve him he get stiff
I go beast mode
Ball like free throw
Game like cheat code
Pounds like kilo
No, I just jump up and down and have a lot of fun. I try to be as lively and as colourful as I can and not worry about looking pretty, too pretty; not worry about messing up my make-up or being too dainty. I like to be just a little bit rough.
The audience opted to stay seated and munch on many of the mouth-watering snacks from the back of the hall during the student performers, but the first sign of this barrier breaking came when Carbona urged the audience to fill the space and come closer. Just like Princess Nokia, this amped up the dynamic; screeching violin solos are significantly more intense when they occur a few feet in front of your face.
Her backup dancers accompanied her in colorful costumes and orange lifejackets, while she stayed in her recognizable plaid mini-skirt, anime tank, and knee highs. Princess Nokia has never shied away from camp or looks that might, at first glance, seem cliché. Rather, she chooses to embody many ideas: goth, witch, Boricua, weeb, and rave kid. By wearing pieces like the schoolgirl skirt, she also pays homage to her positionality as a sex worker. (Nokia started creating content through OnlyFans in 2019).
The chorus of Princess Nokia's "Mine" repeats the phrase, "It's mine, I bought it," over a similar beat. The song also references buying hair like Grande's song and appears to allude to the cultural significance of hair for black and brown women: "How we choose to wear our hair is our personal choice, ok? We bought it, it's ours."
Princess Nokia: I grew up as a New York City kid, very close to the queer community. Being a queer kid and going out--that's been one of the most important parts of my life and really how I started making music. Me and my friends were downtown kids that vogued, that went to balls, that hung out at the Pier, Union Square and the Village. We were just those brown gay kids that liked to go to raves and parties--that liked to give looks, fuck shit up and do the most. That was such a special part of being a young person in the city. We had the most fun, while being so different and unique.
That has always given me a foundation in strength. Coming from that background has given me a place to be a true individual, to truly express myself, to truly be confidently rooted in my differences. I think bringing that into the hip-hop world just makes me go, I don't give a fuck. I'm fabulous. I know who I am, I like what I like and I do what I do. I'm wonderful and I'm comfortable with myself. I got that strength from the [LGBTQ] world, where it's okay to be different. Bringing that energy into music takes the pressure off of living up to something, when I already know I do.
That performance was a moment, and right before 1992 popped off. I grew up loving Ladyfag, Sophia Lamar and all those girls. I'm not a clubber and I don't go out like I used to, but my ties to the community are deep-rooted from many years ago. When Ladyfag asked me to her Holy Mountain party, I'm like, Okay cool, I haven't done something like this in a minute. I get to the function and it's real late, but all my mothers who used to look after me like Raul Lopez took me to the green room. No one had heard my new music, but I remember smoking a cigarette backstage and then I was like, Alright I'm gonna hit the stage.
I think it was just a song that was real--it was different. It gave the world something that women like myself, who're really normal, laid-back women, could resonate with. It was rock 'n' roll--it was empowering. The whole vibe of the song--"My little titties and my fat belly"--that's real punk rock.
I still feel like an outsider. I've always been an outsider and I will always be an outsider. I know what it's like to live alone and be on some different shit, so the fact that I can translate that into a universal language and bring it into a world it's not supposed to fit into--that's powerful. That's really saying, I don't give a fuck. And a lot of other people don't either, but they can laugh at themselves. They don't take things so seriously. They have a good time and a better, more positive perspective. That's so important.
I think there's a general motif of there being so much comfort in relaxation, nonconformity and uniqueness--being cool with who you are in the world, even though it's a really fucked up place. 1992 is me trying to be an eternal optimist. I think there's optimism in everything I do, no matter how dark or funny I become. There's always a sense of humor with an air of artfulness and thoughtfulness in my music. When you listen to it, it's alive and cinematic. The album has 16 songs and it's about an hour long. I like to listen to it front to back--I like to ride my bike and listen to it just to enjoy life. I try to make a good, cinematic project that has depth and can take people places.
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