F is an explosion of rap, pop and electronic production, eye-catching visual effects, bold lyrics on difficult topics and the courage to make noise in the hugely male-dominated hip-hop culture.

I’ve always known I wanted to write and perform, but I really found my own thing three years ago when I started to write rap. I’ve listened to a lot of American rap in particular, but I never thought I would be able to rap myself, since I’m a young Finnish woman. The idea stayed in the back of my mind and nagged me until I picked up a pen and realized I’d found something special. I’ve always sung, and incorporating rap into the mix almost accidentally created a special kind of fusion: I do both; rap and sing at the same time, and in general in my music I try to break the rules and tear down fences.

The greatest challenges I faced when becoming an artist were in my own head, but my first music release attracted online comments and other critics who felt it was necessary to critique not only my music, but above all, my appearance. As a female rapper with short hair or a buzzcut, you really encounter strong prejudices and close-minded attitudes. On the other hand, I’ve always used criticism as a kind of fuel. When you divide opinion so strongly, you might have shaken something that needed shaking up. One of my most important goals as an artist is to expand the narrow public image of women and to highlight female representation in particular, because we’re so much more and so much more beautiful than the mass media and internet would have us believe.

My artistic career has taught me even more to walk my own path and to focus on what’s ahead, paying no attention to what anyone else thinks or expects of me. I’ve learned the hard way that if something feels right to me, other people’s opinions don’t matter, and I would advise everyone to think the same. The best results come from a genuine passion and will to do something, whether it’s art or something else. Remember where your passion originally came from and hold on to that feeling. Believing in yourself and in what you do plays a bigger role than you could imagine, so don’t let go of it.

❤: F