Ikkimel

Active on the Berlin rap scene, Ikkimel, also known as Melina Gaby Strauß, born in 1997 in Berlin-Tempelhof, develops a project that sits between club rap, trap and urban pop. Trained in German philology and social and cultural anthropology at the Freie Universität Berlin, with a specialization in linguistics and a stint at the Brain Language Laboratory, Ikkimel approaches writing and flow with particular attention to language play. Her career began after her father’s death during the Covid period; at that point she decided to devote herself to rap and in 2021 received support from Initiative Musik. Her first singles were released in 2022, followed by the EP Aszendent Bitch in 2023 and Hat sie nicht gesagt in 2024, where she further pursues a style marked by explicit lyrics, an openly feminist perspective and the inversion of sexist codes. Signed to Four Music (Sony Music) in 2023, she released the track Keta und Krawall, produced by Barré, and her song Bezahlen was used in 2024 by the party Die PARTEI in a radio spot for the European elections. In 2025 Ikkimel released her debut album Fotze, which critics have likened to the work of Lady Bitch Ray, SXTN and Shirin David for its approach to sexuality and gender relations in German-language rap.