Etta can be called one of the most successful Finnish female rappers. The journey to the top of the album charts has not been straightforward, but it has included difficult moments and hard work.
Eyelashes, check, nails, check. Ready to break hearts. The gang reportedly likes to claim that black is my problem, okay, bet.
Rap artist Etta aka Emmalotta Kanth, 25, sits in an armchair during the interview. Eye-catching long nails, strong make-up and black high heels. So the rap lyrics don’t lie about what Eta is said to be.
Although the lyrics are full of self-confidence and even very bold language from time to time, Etta admits that she is also a sensitive young woman. In his opinion, the greatest sensitivity is the authenticity that he conveys to the listener with his songs.
Etta would like to make a joint song with Elli Haloo, the soloist of Haloo Helsinki. Jussi Eskola
– But yes, I am also the Mother who is in those songs. Yes, Emppu and Etta are the same type, but let’s put it this way, when I go on stage, a certain character comes over me. Etta is still a little bit more mature than Emppu, she says with a twinkle in her eye.
Etta released a song in 2021 Womanwhich has been listened to over 4.5 million times on Spotify.
– Woman-song somehow became a cult and also my brand. I didn’t expect this to happen, but now that I think about it, it’s perfect, Etta continues.
Etta notes that the song has a more positive and neutral tone with the word “amma”.
Etta says that she has started the “mother in shape” project. – I hired a personal trainer and a therapist. In the future, I will be an even better mother-in-law than before. Jussi Eskola
From teenage love to a colleague
Etta fondly remembers the early stages of her career, when she dated her partner at the time, the rap artist Lukas Leonin, 24, accompanied to the studio. Etta and Lukas met in high school.
– Lukas had said at the studio that he has a mime friend who could come and sing one of the choruses. I went to the studio and sang the XTC song once and it ended up in that song, Etta recalls.
Etta dated Lukas for several years, but eventually the relationship ended. However, the friendship has not ended, and according to Eta, it is not about to end either.
From Etan’s latest album You like it anyway however, it can be concluded that life has moved on.
Etta reveals that she does not want to close the doors of international music either, although she is currently focusing on Finnish production. – In the international market, I would be competing with my idols, it’s exciting, Etta says. Jussi Eskola
– I don’t bring up my relationships on social media, but as you can hear from the songs, there have been a few relaxed ones. I don’t put a picture of my ass anywhere unless I’m absolutely sure he can handle the spin. However, I don’t think that I couldn’t go to the store with him, Etta states.
Etta opens up about her current relationship situation through her songs. He can’t answer the question directly, but a song from the new album Others than us reflects the situation well.
– I recorded the song and only later, while listening to it with a guy, did I realize that it is completely about us on the dance floor of a bar in Helsinki, Etta recalls with a laugh.
In the future, the artist would like to start a family.
– I do want to get married and become a mother someday. However, it will take at least 500 light years!
– I don’t regret anything in my career and certainly not in life in general. My worldview is that everything happens for a reason, Etta states. Jussi Eskola
Crisis management
The path to becoming a female rapper has not been straightforward. Etta says that at first she herself was confused about what kind of music she would like to make.
– We made a deal with Warner and suddenly I got all the attention for rapping. It led me to a small identity crisis in the early days of my career, whether I was a singer or a rapper.
– Today, I don’t stress about it at all anymore, this is a blessing for me, not a curse, he continues, referring to his songs, which include both singing and rapping.
Etta dares to admit that as a woman she was some kind of trendsetter in the rap industry. Although the career has gone forward like a rocket, the feet have still remained on the ground. However, her family has warned against the glamorous life.
– They have said to look carefully at who you trust. They have said to keep family close because if everything else leaves, family is what stays. I’m not even afraid that this life that I’m living would take me down the wrong path, because the foundation and education is in order.
Etta reveals that she has Sami blood in her. His mother’s side of the family has roots in Utsjoki. Etta says that her family is everything to her, and in the midst of her busy schedule, she wants to organize time together with her siblings and parents.
– In the family folders, there are many wonderful pictures and stories about great-grandparents who are Sámi, Etta says gently.
Etta says that her albums go “in cycles”: the stories heard in the songs mostly take place in the last 6-12 months. Next fall, the artist will start working on his third album. Jussi Eskola
Etta also made history with her new album. You like it anyway was the first album by a Finnish female rapper to go straight to number one.
– However, I am always the girl next door from Vantaa and I still have the same friends as before. I still go to Spora and go to Lidl, even though my nails and bank account balance have changed, Etta says.
Etta also says from time to time that she fears the end of her career. He says that he is sure that he will stay in the music and media industry, even if he stops gigging and making his own music. In the future, he would also like to help new, up-and-coming artists, for example with the help of his own record company, such as industry giants Jare Tiihonen and Ville Galle have done.
– There are constantly guys coming into this industry who make one song and claim their place with it. Female rappers are immediately thought of as bad and there is no room for mistakes.
Eta’s tattoos have different meanings. On his right arm is the word “family” in the Sami language. The tattoo is important to Eta because it reflects her Sámi roots. Other tattoos show Eta’s love for music and her passionate attitude towards life. Jussi Eskola
At the disco 24/7
Etta reveals that her youth was wild. He was especially interested in drinking and hanging out with friends, which is why his mother and sister sometimes had to take care of the family’s evening star. Etta has also opened up these thoughts in the lyrics of her raps.
Today, celebrating is still a part of Eta’s life, but in a different way than before. He knows how to draw boundaries for himself and what he does.
– Alcohol is always available at gig venues. This job is like a 24/7 disco and it’s completely up to me how far I want to go in it. After all, I have had phases in my life and I have used substances, Etta admits.
According to Eta, many rap artists may ruin their careers by falling into the vortex of the drug world. However, he states that the artist has a responsibility even when celebrating what he does.
– If I go to a bar, I can’t go there to fool around. You have to think about what you’re doing, he decides.
In the early days of Eta’s career, he worked on the lyrics of his songs alone. Today, however, he also employs writers in the process of creating songs. – Now we have to make hits, so we have to realize that if I can’t do it myself, then we’ll bring in professionals, Etta says, praising her colleagues. Jussi Eskola