The event was curated by the rapper herself and included free admission, free drinks and an airy atmosphere.

Rap duo by the name of Glitter Moneyyy set the tone for the night with goofy and empowering mantras. They brought the hype and humor but it was rather surface level (even though that might have been the point). With a beer or two in me I started to sing along to their track “SCD’ (suction cupdildo) but eventually lost interest.

Glitter Moneyyy photo by Annayelli Lizette Photography

Jpegmafia graced the stage next with loud-ass beats and an intense vocal performance. The gutteral base with metal and rap fusion made a punch that was stronger than the weird tasting rose cider being served. The energy in the room was high. Mosh pits were blooming, I was sweating profusely. He went into a track that was dedicated to his hatred to the singer Morrissey. Don’t know what this guy is on; he’s made 5 albums last year but I hope to see him live again.

Jpegmafia photo by Annayelli Lizette Photography

Then, the Princess arrived. She was in charge of the room. A few songs into the set Destiny addressed the crowd the way she does with all her performances. At the beginning of her set, Princess Nokia stopped the show to ensure that the space was centered around women of color. She called for all the people color, women, and LGBTQ to make their way to the front, and for everyone else to respectfully allow them to pass.  

Her impact was immediate as she flipped the energy of the room with her words. Her performance was spot on. She didn’t play all the hits from 1992 but she pulled a few. ‘Tomboy,’ ‘Kitsana,’ and ‘Mine’ made the set. She was pretty serious the whole time, making me wonder if the fame has worn off on her. But the tremendous amount of energy that she gave off and put into her performance was not unnoticed. A talented performer and cultural heroine I walked away feeling lucky to have seen her. She’s the baddest. 

Princess Nokia photos by Annayelli Lizette Photography