Destiny Frasqueri, AKA Princess Nokia, is beloved in part for her brilliant visual aesthetic, be it her visual art, versatile fashion sense, or dynamic, statement-making music videos. She’s released videos for three tracks from her 1992 album, and she’s back with a double feature this time. On “Bart Simpson”, Princess Nokia reminisces on her upbringing over a smooth soundscape led by thick, triumphant horns. As she speaks on changing schools every year and being an “inner city orphan with my hand in apple pie,” she takes us back to her adolescence being picked last for dodgeball and being mischievous in class before skipping out and getting lit with friends.
“Green Line” is a homage to the 4,5,6 lines of New York’s MTA rail system. From her native East Harlem, the trains are a straight shot gateway into lower Manhattan and vibrant, culturally impactful neighborhoods highlighted in the visual such as the East Village. Clips of her riding the train are interspliced with footage of breakdancers, harkening to New York’s legacy as the genesis of Hip-Hop culture. The two videos were co-directed by Princess Nokia and Milah Libin, a frequent collaborator and member of her Smart Girls collective.
