Ashnikko

Shaped between North Carolina, the Baltic States and London, Ashnikko—born Ashton Nicole Casey—crafts a world where pop-rap, alternative hip-hop and electronic pop with punk inflections intersect. Moving to the United Kingdom in her teens, Ashnikko drew attention in the mid-2010s with tracks released online, then gave shape to that early playground with the EPs “Sass Pancakes” (2017) and “Unlikeable” (2018). The blend of razor-sharp rap flows, highly melodic hooks, and forthright lyrics about gender, power, and violent relationships came into its own with the 2019 mixtape “Hi, It’s Me,” where the single “STUPID,” featuring Yung Baby Tate, greatly expanded her audience via social platforms. Ashnikko cemented this hybrid songwriting with the debut album “Demidevil” (2021), including collaborations with Grimes (“Cry”) and Princess Nokia (“Slumber Party”), placing her within a scene where experimental rap, hyperpop and internet culture meet. In 2023, the album “WEEDKILLER” pushed this cyber and fantastical aesthetic even further, combining industrial textures, pop choruses and a near-rock energy, confirming Ashnikko’s place in a highly digital and strongly visual strand of alternative pop.