Musti

Without even a single to her name, eighteen-year-old artist Ugbad Musti was still one of the most talked about acts at last year’s Øya Festival in her hometown of Oslo, Norway. Despite her set competing for attention with headliners such as Christine & The Queens and Robyn, Billboard.com took note of the newcomer. “Musti performed with confidence and had a stage presence of a seasoned artist” wrote Billboard, describing her natural artistic flair. October 30, 2020 will now see the physical release of Musti’s powerful debut album Qoyskayga (My Family) in North America via Radikal Records.

With her imminent release, Musti may well become the manifestation of the next generation of Norwegian rappers and the first to break outside her home territory. The ones that dare assert their ambitions, ignore conventional categorization and stereotypes relating to rap style, provenance or gender. “I was an angry kid” Musti explains. As luck would have it an observant teacher showed her an alternative way of articulating this anger, by expressing her emotions in words. What started as a diary of sorts soon became poetry, evolving with patterns and rhymes - not unlike rappers such as Skepta and Stormzy. Musti had a realization. “Music is poetry. My emotions become poems, poems that naturally transform to fit to music.”

Additionally, the fact that Musti

Photo credit: Michael Ray Vera Cruz Angeles Photo credit: Michael Ray Vera Cruz Angeles Photo credit: Michael Ray Vera Cruz Angeles Photo credit: Michael Ray Vera Cruz Angeles Photo credit: Michael Ray Vera Cruz Angeles Rising Somali-Norwegian Artist Musti Releases Debut Album QOYSKAYGA

has first and and unique and unpredictable flow. foremost been Drawing on her cultural heritage a exposed to UK rap, helping of African rhythms are mixed in not US or Scandina- the production. You don’t have to vian, separates her understand Norwegian or Somalian to from previous realize and feel the undeniable talent that generations. Born in makes Musti one of the most exciting Somalia and living voices to come out of the Norwegian in London before music scene in a long time. settling with her family in Norway, Despite changing and challenging Musti is an Afropop conditions Musti has kept busy in 2020, artist that can first by living up to expectations as express herself Norwegian music festival by:Larm’s effortlessly in three biggest hype. She also released the short languages. Her film “Riyo” and recently shared a stage musical sensibilities with Aurora and Hkeem when they are closer to grime performed at Amnesty Norway’s antithan classic hip hop, racism live stream benefit after the permeating through demonstrations triggered by the murder her unfiltered lyrics of George Floyd in the USA. November 2020 • Rock and Blues International 45