In January, New York-based rapper and singer Princess Nokia put out one of the best breakout songs of the year, so far. "Dragons" is a drum-and-bass love letter modeled off the Games of Thrones romance between Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo. The accompanying video was a perfect introduction to Destiny Frasqueri's alter ego. Now she's back with a new video for "Cybiko." It's the second single off her debut album Metallic Butterfly, which was released yesterday.
Co-directed by Milah Libin, Nokia distills her image as a cyber vixen, sitting perched in her hacking cell surrounded by monitors. She patrols the streets from her window playing Mortal Kombat, watching Spice Girls videos, Æon Flux, and Fox News updates on the NSA. The video balances throwback references to TLC's Fanmail days with Nokia's sharp rhymes about her HTML skills and penchant for data mining. Her verses are smart and endearing. Paired with slick production by NY-based producer Owwwls, Nokia's music and video work shows a distinctive vision rare for an artist so early in their career. Stream her debut album Metallic Butterfly on Vice and stay tuned for more from the young queen.
