New York native Princess Nokia (real name Destiny Frasqueri) has released a documentary of what is essentially the making of and release of her widely acclaimed EP, “1992,” released in September of this year.
Directed by Orian Barki and produced by The Fader, the film opens with clips of a performance and goes on to provide added insight on her process for making music, the birth of Princess Nokia, some of her favorite New York spots, and why her love for the City remains eternal even in the midst of gentrification.
It stands out that even in moments of heart breaking reveals, the young New Yorker maintained a hopeful spirit. She’s tough yet still utterly down-to-earth, exuding warmth, not unlike a colorful piece in one of the city’s famous mosaics.
Speaking on events that led to her becoming a performer, Nokia speak about how she lost her mother at a young age, was placed in foster care and was physically abused by her foster parent.
“I remember it was picture day. She beat the shit out of me. I had a black eye. And she made her sister put makeup on me. At 10, 11 years old, I had to get put makeup on that morning. By 15-years old I realized it’s not okay to abuse a child. That something is being taken from me and I didn’t want to be silent anymore,” explained Nokia, who added she ran away from foster care at 16, an age at which she began to lay down the foundation for Princess Nokia.
She also explained losing her mother to AIDS and explained, “I put my mind in my mother’s life a lot. And I think how hard my mother had it. Being such a young kid and being kind of plagued with this social stigma that was very new at the time. Thinking of this, like man-made disease. I think like, how innocently my mother was a victim of that. It’s kind of futuristic and post-apocalyptic in a way.”
A visit is paid to Nokia’s mother’s grave and if there is a dry eye in the house at this point it’s not ours.
“Destiny” ended on a high note with the rapper performing at the launch party for her EP, “1992.”
