London-based rapper and singer Ashnikko is taking the world by storm with graphic, darkly funny anthems about female empowerment and owning one’s sexuality. • Ashnikko grew up in an ultra-conservative town in North Carolina, which deeply influenced her views on gender roles and sexuality. • She moved with her family as a teen to Estonia and Latvia, where she discovered her love for writing (and got suspended for penning an explicit poem involving a teacher). After high school, she relocated to London and launched her career. • Her influences include genre-pushing trailblazers like M.I.A., Björk, and Nicki Minaj. • In 2017, Ashnikko released Sass Pancakes, a collaborative EP with London producer Raf Riley. The following year, she teamed up with Kodie Shane on the single “Invitation,” which is featured on her Unlikeable EP. • Her music finally went mainstream in 2019 after she released the Hi It's Me EP. The Yung Baby Tate–assisted single “Stupid” went viral on TikTok and earned gold certification in the US and Canada. • In 2020, she teamed up with Canadian art-pop provocateur Grimes for “Cry,” the lead single off her forthcoming debut mixtape, DEMIDEVIL.