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India Today
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Who is Tommy Genesis? Indian-origin rapper slammed for dressing as Goddess Kali
Canadian rapper and model Tommy Genesis, of Indian-origin, recently faced backlash for portraying Goddess Kali in a music video. The visuals of her new track 'True Blue', shared by Genesis on social media, sparked widespread outrage for hurting religious rapper, also known as Genesis Yasmine Mohanraj, is linked to Malayali, Tamil and Swedish descent. Her music is often labelled as provocative since the theme of the lyrics is associated with sex and while justifying her choices in an interview with Office Magazine, mentioned that 'True Blue' is not meant for those who link it to their beliefs. She also clarified that she is not bothered by any mixed sentiments or criticism over the new music video. Tommy Genesis' musical career and fameThe Indian-origin rapper was born in Vancouver, Canada. She graduated from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she studied film and sculpture before commencing her musical began creating music in the early 2010s and started recording rap in 2013 for a project called 'G3NESIS'. She later signed with Awful Records and released her debut mixtape, World collaborations were later followed by Downtown Records/Universal and Abra (an artist from Awful Records, on the track 'Hair Like Water Wavy Like the Sea' from Genesis's debut mixtape 'World Vision'). advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tommy Genesis (@tommygenesis)On July 28, 2018, the rapper dropped the single '100 Bad'. This track marked the second time she teamed up with music producer Charlie Heat, following their earlier collaboration on the 2017 song 'Tommy'.Her professional associations also include popular musicians like Charli XCX, Austin Millz, Lana Del Ray and Nessa collaborationsThe 34-year-old artiste also made a career in modelling alongside her music. Calvin Klein hired her for their Fall 2016 campaign along with other musical artists. She also collaborated with rapper M.I.A. at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (a series of international fashion weeks sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, a brand of Daimler AG). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tommy Genesis (@tommygenesis)Tommy Genesis' True Blue controversyIn 2016, Dazed Magazine described Genesis as "the internet's most rebellious underground rap queen." The rapper, who studied gender politics, film, and sculpture at college, is known for bringing similar themes in her music recent video sparked outrage as it depicts her as Goddess Kali wearing a gold bikini and stilettos, adorned with gold jewellery. 'True Blue' also shows the rapper licking a crucifix and performing a 'namaste' gesture with folded hands. The imagery led to criticism for disrespecting both Hindu and Catholic speaking about 'True Blue' with Office Magazine, she said, "If you like it, you like it, and if you don't, you don't. We don't care. It's not for you. It could be not for you for a lot of reasons—where you are in your life or your beliefs."Recently, Indian rapper and lyricist Raftaar slammed Genesis for the controversial music video. While expressing his outrage on his Instagram story, Raftaar wrote, "This is a mockery of my religion. This shouldn't exist (sic)."Watch the video here: Tommy Genesis on explicit contentGenesis, who identifies as bisexual, has often been vocal about her thoughts on gender and sexuality. In an interaction with W Magazine, she said, "I am a very sexual person, and it's something that has always been a con in my life because it's something that I have always had to defend. I'm not unaware of what I'm saying, but I don't realise it's so explicit until it comes out. Even if you say I'm hip-hop, I'm not hip-hop. I make sex-talk art weirdness."Genesis has not yet responded to the controversy about hurting religious sentiments.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'This is a mockery of my religion,' Raftaar SLAMS Rapper Tommy Genesis over the imagery of Maa Kali in her controversial music video
On Saturday, Canadian rapper Tommy Genesis, real name Genesis Yasmine Mohanraj, released an explicit music video, 'True Blue.' In the video, she was seen in blue body paint, wearing gold jewellery and a red bindi, seemingly depicting Hindu goddess Maa Kali . She also held a Christian cross in her hand, and at one point was seen licking it. This video, her look, has sparked an online outrage. Amid all this, Indian rapper Raftaar reacted to the video and the imagery. What did Raftaar say about Tommy Genesis and her music video True Blue? Taking to his social media story, on Sunday, Rafter called out the Canadian rapper. He urged his followers to flag the video as it is a blatant cultural disrespect. "This is a mockery of my religion. This shouldn't exist. Report This.' Check it out here: Netizens react to Tommy Genesis 'True Blue' Echoing similar sentiments, internet users didn't hold back in expressing their disappointment and fury. 'This is PATHETIC!!!! Stop appropriating hindu culture for mere likes,' wrote a user. 'Our Goddess is not your is this validation u r seeking,' commented another. 'Hindu aesthetics, our jewelry and our customs have meaning and they are NOT for the west to appropriate. Disrespecting our religion and Goddess is not making u exotic, it's just xenophobia and racism. Delete this,' mentioned by a user. Who is Genesis Yasmine Mohanraj? Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Yasmine comes from a diverse background that includes Malayali, Tamil, and Swedish roots. Her music frequently explores themes related to gender and sexuality, and she has previously referred to herself as a "fetish rapper." Starting her music journey in 2015, her work showcases an experimental approach with provocative lyrics. She began her rap career in 2013. She is an alumna of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she focused on film and sculpture.
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Tse'K'wa Heritage Society names summer 2025 artist in residence
CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — With the backdrop of the Tse'K'wa cave behind her, Adrienne Greyeyes works with dedication and intent below a canopy, the carcass of a moose stretched as she scrapes hair from its hide. Greyeyes, who works as an Indian day school coordinator with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, has for a portion of the summer gone back to an undying passion: art. She has been announced as Tse'k'wa's artist in residence for the summer of 2025. Greyeyes holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Vancouver's Emily Carr University of Art and Design. According to a press release, Greyeyes will be incorporating 'combined teachings from Dane-zaa and Nehiyaw Elders to develop her hide-making skills' during eight weeks in May and July. The residency is fully funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. Greyeyes is of Nehiyaw ancestry from Bigstone Cree Nation in what is now Alberta, but was born and grew up in Fort St. John. 'Moose hide holds nostalgia and safety to a lot of people,' said Greyeyes during a break. '[It] brings so many people back to when they were younger. 'This is such a meditative practice where I find myself re-visiting a lot of those things and it just puts me in that kind of head space.' In traditional Indigenous cultures, preparing animal hides for purposes such as clothing, shelter and art requires a labour-intensive process. This involves hide cleaning; soaking; fleshing; scraping; softening using the animal's brains, known as 'braining'; and smoking to give it a tanned appearance. The finished hides will be utilized in Greyeyes' printmaking, artwork which she says will display 'the reciprocal relationship that we have with the land we grew on through using hides that were grown on the same territory that my body has also been nourished from,' and acknowledge 'our relationship is ever-changing and challenged due to colonial lifestyle impositions.' 'Not only is it sustaining us in being in clothing and being part of our ceremonies,' said Greyeyes. 'But it also teaches. You're really close to this animal the whole time you're working with [it] and you're really close to that spirit.' Greyeyes will hold open-studio hours at Tse'K'wa in Charlie Lake, where the public can view her work and ask questions. Greyeyes will be at the Tse'K'wa cave on May 14th, 15th, and 20th. The second half of her residency will be on July 7th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 16th and 17th, when people can learn more about her. The time for all days is between 11 a.m. and 12 noon, and admission is free. The Tse'K'wa cave is an Indigenous-owned national heritage site , owned by Doig River First Nation, West Moberly First Nations and Prophet River First Nation. Tse'K'wa, translating to 'Rock House,' is a cave with history tracing back some 12,000 years, and was used by Dane-zaa ancestors since the Ice Age. More information about Greyeyes' residency is available on the Tse'K'wa website .
CBC
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Neko Case says the music scene in Canada is 'much healthier' than in the U.S.
When the American singer-songwriter Neko Case was a kid growing up in Washington state, she thought she was Canadian. "In the '70s there weren't a lot of media outlets," she tells Q 's Tom Power in an interview. "We had CBC … and so I remember being in school as a little girl and being asked what country we live in, and I said Canada because I just heard Canadian media all the time. I thought we were Canadian." Case is best known as a solo artist as well as a member of The New Pornographers, one of Canada's most beloved indie rock bands. She recently released a new memoir, The Harder I Fight The More I Love You, which details her path to becoming a Grammy-nominated artist, and how she found her home in the Canadian music scene. WATCH | Neko Case's full interview with Tom Power: In 1994, Case moved to Vancouver to attend the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she found a thriving community of artists. "It was the most positive change that I remember happening in my life," she says. "The Canadian music scene is very different than it was in the United States. If you're in a band in Vancouver, you have to just be OK with the fact that your bass player is going to be in five other bands because the population just isn't what it is in the United States. There's just less people. So there was more of a potluck sort of feel rather than a competitive feel. I think that was the healthiest thing I've ever been a part of." [In Vancouver,] there was more of a potluck sort of feel rather than a competitive feel. - Neko Case While it seems more typical for a Canadian musician to move to the U.S., rather than the other way around, Case says she thinks the music scene in Canada is "much healthier" than it is below the border. She's happy to be considered an honourary Canadian. But there is a question of whether she uses Canadian or American spelling. Power notes that her breakthrough hit Favorite off her 2001 EP Canadian Amp is spelled the American way, without a u.
