Princess Nokia

“I had been introduced to rapping in a way where women and people did it, it was structured. It had this very very political structure to it and if you didn't follow the structure, you weren't considered validated or real and that just gave me anxiety.”

“I think that the power of reinvention is very important.”

“I am really connected to my astral body. Thats why I think the study of chakras and auras are so important.”

“Music is a beauty pageant. When I go put myself out there, I'm going to compete.”

“I'm very conscious of my body, and how I take care of it. I like clean foods, drink a lot of water, and soak up much sunlight and positive energy as I can.”

“I just want to purify my body, purify my mind, and make good music and keep living my life.”

“I'm from Harlem.”

“Black people created punk - the band Death was way before The Ramones. Same with Bad Brains. If you think about it, the wool has been pulled over our eyes.”

“I was a happy-go-lucky gothic girl who had an optimistic spirit cos I was suffering a lot at home.”

“Every year, I assign myself to make a beautiful art piece which is my musical project for the year.”

“I'm a big believer in letting your freak flag fly.”

“I have confidence and je ne sais quoi. That is unmistakable.”

“I was just a queer theater kid from New York City.”

“It's apparent that I'm really eccentric and lively.”

“Alternative culture has always had a populace within the black and brown community.”

“Music has empowered me through poverty, abuse, and mental-health issues.”

“I've been investing in and funding myself since day one.”

“The principles of punk-rock culture, of self-expression and DIY culture, that really spoke to me.”

“I like Marvel because characters look like me and women don't have roles that make them look too sexual.”

“I think that brown people are attracted to rock music because it speaks on the spectrum of pain that brown people are predisposed to.”