Complex UK Premieres the Music Video for Musti’s Afro-Rap Anthem “Lion King”
Today, Complex UK is premiering the music video for “Lion King,” by Somali-Norwegian hip-hop artist, Musti. Featured on Musti’s recently released debut album Qoyskayga (My Family), the 19-year-old artist recently performed the track live at Norway’s P3 Gull (in English: “P3 Gold”) award show where she won «Newcomer of the Year» for 2020.
Complex UK calls Musti’s debut a “futuristic whirlpool of club electronics threaded through pop, rap, Afrobeats and R&B,” with one of the centerpieces of the album being “Lion King”. Due to the current pandemic Musti had to get creative with the visuals for the single. “With little more than a mic, a camera and some green drapes, she’s managed to create an impressively snappy visual, removing all distractions and putting the focus entirely on her performance of this punk-tinged, Afro-rap anthem,” state Complex.
Watch “Lion King” on Complex UK
On the single Musti states:
“During the process of making my album «Qoyskayga», Beyonce had just dropped the album «Lion King-The Gift», and one track on that album quickly became my favorite. “My Power” featuring Tierra Whack, Nija, Yemi Alade, Busiswa, MoonChild Sanelly and DJ Lag. After that I listened to alot of AfroBeat and Afropop music, which really inspired me and my producers to make this track.«Lion king» is a homage to every female artists and athlete with african descent. And special s/o to my mom who came through with the middle eight part of the song.” – Musti
Without even a single to her name, eighteen-year-old artist Musti was still one of the most talked about acts at last years’ 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.
With the release of her debut album Qoyskayga, 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.”
Born in Somalia and living in London before settling with her family in Norway, Musti is an Afropop artist that can express herself effortlessly in three languages. Her musical sensibilities are closer to grime than classic hip hop, permeating through her unfiltered lyrics and unique and unpredictable flow. Drawing on her cultural heritage a helping of African rhythms are mixed in the production. You don’t have to understand Norwegian or Somalian to realize and feel the undeniable talent that makes Musti one of the most exciting voices to come out of the Norwegian music scene in a long time.
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