Ikkimel
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Melina Gaby Strauß (born 18 May 1997),[1] known professionally as Ikkimel, is a German rapper from Berlin-Tempelhof. She is known for her provocative, sexualized lyrics.
Life
[edit]Ikkimel is from Berlin-Tempelhof and has a combined bachelor's degree in German Philology and Social and Cultural Anthropology with a focus on linguistics, from Freie Universität Berlin. After beginning her master's degree in linguistics, she started working in the university's Brain Language Laboratory in 2018.[2] Following her father's death due to blood cancer, she started making music, taking on the name Ikkimel.
„Ich hab immer gern Rap gehört und Party gemacht, gerne gefreestyled mit Freunden etc. Anfang Corona ist mein Vater gestorben an Blutkrebs. Das war nach Jahren der Pflege dann der Punkt wo ich dachte man lebt nur einmal ich Scheiß jetzt auf alles und mach einfach das was mir Spaß macht.“
[“I've always loved listening to rap and partying, freestyling with friends, etc. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, my father died of blood cancer. After years of caring for him, that was the point where I thought, you only live once, so I'm going to say screw everything and just do what I enjoy.”]
— Ikkimel, [3]
Career
[edit]In 2021, Ikkimel obtained funding from Initiative Musik. She released her first singles in 2022 and followed up with her first EP Aszendent Bitch on 5 May 2023.[4] Her provocative lyrics contain clearly sexualized language; common themes include being a bitch, partying, drugs and sex, and she often includes subtle wordplay. She makes fun of macho behavior.[5] Musically, she uses hyperpop and Jersey Club quotes with choppy beats and trance and house samples.[6] She also describes her music as "Fotzenstyle", meaning "cunt-style".[7] Ikkimel has named Blümchen, Peter Fox and Frauenarzt among her musical influences.[8]
In 2023, Ikkimel was signed by Four Music (Sony Music), after which she debuted with the single Keta und Krawall, produced by Barré, and reached number 89 in the German charts.[9]
The track Bezahlen from the EP Hat sie nicht gesagt, released in 2024, was used in the same year by Die PARTEI in a radio election commercial for the 2024 European elections. Hessischer Rundfunk refused to broadcast it on its radio program You FM, arguing that the song contained content that was harmful to minors. The broadcaster lost a subsequent court case initiated by Die PARTEI before the administrative court in Frankfurt am Main, so the commercial was broadcast in the early evening program on 15 May.[10]
On 14 February 2025, Ikkimel released her debut album Fotze ("cunt"). The album was critically acclaimed and it was emphasized that sexist language was counteracted through her radical female perspective. The lyrics for the track Jetzt erst recht address the question whether this reproduces the male gaze of female sexuality: "Is Ikkimel still feminist at all? Suddenly the little pissers pretend that it is important to them." Ikkimel described her own political stance as “definitely feminist".[11] The album also references other musicians such as Lady Bitch Ray, SXTN and Shirin David in its content and musical design.[12][13][14]
Personal life
[edit]In 2024, Ikkimel made her relationship to fellow rapper Ski Aggu public.[15] In June 2025 they announced they had separated.[16]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- 2025: Fotze
- 2026: Poppstar
EPs
[edit]- 2023: Aszendent Bitch
- 2024: Hat sie nicht gesagt
- 2026: Ikkimel Die Geile EP
Singles
[edit]- 2022: Cola Zero (with forsha)
- 2023: Zu raus (with Axel X)
- 2023: Ich seh gut aus (with Axel X and Lenny Fuck)
- 2023: Vorbei an der Schlange (with Axel X)
- 2023: Erste Sahne (with Pintendari)
- 2023: Lifesaver (with Retado & Slim Salabim)
- 2023: Keta und Krawall
- 2024: Bikini grell
- 2024: Fussballmänner
- 2024: Hat sie nicht gesagt
- 2024: Deutschland (Ski Aggu feat. Ikkimel)
- 2024: Männergefühle (with Salò & UHD)
- 2024: Wellness
- 2024: Unisexklo (with Lucry & Suena)
- 2024: Baddie (with Money Boy)
- 2025: Forever Swagger (Money Boy feat. Ikkimel)
- 2025: Jiggy (with Filow)
- 2025: Nachtschicht (with 01099)
- 2025: Germany (Ski Aggu, Ikkimel, Dauner, Barré)
- 2025: Who’s That
- 2025: Bling Bling (nocashfromparents)
- 2025: IDGAF
- 2025: Mami (The Cratez)
- 2025: Giftmord (Barré)
- 2026: KINK (Barré, Florida Juicy)
- 2026: NOT TODAY (Florida Juicy, nocashfromparents)
- 2026: TIPPS VON MIR (nocashfromparents, Florida Juicy)
References
[edit]- ↑ "Auch nur Menschen". Instagram. funk. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ↑ "Melina Strauß" (in German). 27 May 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ↑ Hallenstein, Octavius (12 May 2025). "Ikkimel hat ihren an Blutkrebs erkrankten Vater bis zu seinem Tod gepflegt". Raptastisch (in German). Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ↑ Chiara Menner (5 May 2023). "Ikkimel – Aszendent B*tch". hiphop.de (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ↑ "#35 Talking to Turtles, IUMA, Frank Popp Ensemble und mehr". Das nächste große Ding (Podcast) (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ↑ Alicia (19 July 2023). "Ikkimel". 365 Fe*male MCs (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ↑ "Fotzenstyle kommt immer geil · Reimstunde · Radio 3FACH" (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ↑ DIFFUS (16 February 2025). "Ein Tag mit Ikkimel: Exklusiver Backstage-Besuch im Kater Blau | DIFFUS". Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ Micha Wagner (29 September 2023). "Empfehlung des Tages: Ikkimel – Keta und Krawall" (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ↑ "Hessischer Rundfunk muss Wahlwerbespot von Die PARTEI ausstrahlen". PRIGGE Recht (in German). 15 May 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ↑ Alba Wilczek, Bayerischer Rundfunk (18 February 2025). "Fotzenrap vs. Feminismus: Ikkimel rappt über Sex – warum das vielen zu krass ist" (in German).
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ Rausch, Thore (14 February 2025). "Neues Album von Ikkimel: "Fotze". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ↑ Davoudvandi, Miriam (14 February 2025). "(S+) Ikkimels Debütalbum: Als hätten der Rapper Frauenarzt und Paris Hilton ein Kind bekommen". DER SPIEGEL (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ↑ Goertz, Maja (14 February 2025). "Ikkimel: Sie hat "Fotze" gesagt". ZEIT ONLINE (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ↑ TIKonline.de (25 October 2024). Ikkimel: Freundin von Ski Aggu? Das sagt sie selbst dazu... Die freche Rapperin im Interview!. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Hallenstein, Octavius (4 June 2025). "Beziehung beendet - Ski Aggu und Ikkimel haben sich offiziell getrennt". Raptastisch (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2026.