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[A few months ago, while working on a series of stories about individuality, duality, and self-expression amongst urban youth, we came across the incredible story of Sofia Ashraf. By then, she'd already broken free of some serious societal shackles, challenged stereotypes and railed against anyone who told her she couldn't be exactly who she wanted to be--including herself--both as the infamous 'Burkha Rapper' and as an ordinary individual. More recently, she almost broke the internet with her stalwart idea to bring attention to the #UnileverPollutes campaign with a rap set to Nicki Minaj's Anaconda beat, proving that gimmicks with good intention are probably the only gimmicks worth partaking in. She was kind enough to pen a first-person narrative of her journey for us and all we can say is, it's well worth your time.] From my eyes and from my body.
“Just you see,”
“she’ll prove you all wrong.”
“I am neither bird nor reptile”
“Look! I am both.”
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[Sofia Ashraf is a 29-year-old copywriter by profession and a rapper by digression. A workaholic from Mumbai, from Chennai, from Kannur, from everywhere yet nowhere.After nearly two years of dappling in professions ranging from dubbing for anime to music, theatre, dance, event management, video editing, and graphic design she has currently settled down as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai.
Her unfinished projects include her webcomic Leeterature , her video blog - Third World Problems and last night's Pizza. She is also a socio-political rapper and her claim to fame was her subversive rap against DOW chemicals at Justice Rocks - an unsponsored annual rock show in Chennai. . She has also rapped for A.R. Rahman in Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Maryan.]