Backxwash

Ashanti Mutinta, known by the stage name of Backxwash, is a trans musician who you truly cannot define. The Montreal, Quebec native fusion of hip hop, trap music, hard rock, and death metal only scratches the surface of Backxwash’s one-of-a-kind, incredibly innovative auditory tsunami she delivers on every song. Tracing the origin of her genius, the inspiration for her starts in Zambia, where she was raised through a religious upbringing, commonly watching sermons on television at her grandma’s place. These developmental exposures served as the backbone theme for her 2020 project, God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It, an album that, through the samples of Black Sabbath, Deftones, Jimi Hendrix, and the sermons she once watched, communicates dark yet relatable messages about growing up queer in the church. Backxwash’s music encapsulates the raw anger of feeling betrayed by those you love while also asking important questions about forgiveness, trust, and hope. The immaculate sample work, mind-exploding vocals, and twisted yet calculated lyrics make Backxwash one of the most inventive visionaries in current-day music. People are beginning to celebrate Backxwash’s genius as well: not only was God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2020, the masterpiece also won the Polaris Prize last October. Despite the deserved wave of praise she receives, she maintains a helping hand, offering advice to developing musicians. For example, Backxwash gave me advice and complements when I started to make rap music, and in the sea of hate of negativity that comes with being a new artist, Backwash shined as a beacon of hope, pushing me to create when no one else would. Lifting queer voices, whether it’s through crafting a Polaris Prize-winning album or advising new artists through Twitter DM’s, is Backxwash’s mission, and a mission she flawlessly accomplishes.