This is the story of a girl whose connection to the arts is absolutely incredible. Having the guts to bare your innermost thoughts and emotions through your art is a pretty bold move, and Fattima Mahdi does exactly that with her words. From blogging to rapping, this chick’s means of expression is lit. Fattima came to Malta to start a new life, on the island blessed with "the healing powers of sun and sea" - Malta has given this creative soul a chance to breathe and focus on her inner voice, and boy are we glad!
"I came to Malta to connect with myself, in order to understand more deeply what my life's task is and how I can use my talents to help others listen to their own inner wisdom," starts Fattima as she explains her journey through music, lyrics and literature... but where did this fire first start?
It all started with inspiration from the heavyweight rappers and UK MCs. Their beats blared from her two older brother’s sound systems; we’re talking Big L, Nas, Jay Z, Kano and Ghetts. The exposure brought about a surge of creativity in Fattima. “I quickly developed a knack for reciting rap verses and started writing a few of my own. But I was really young at the time, like 10 years old, so I didn't do much else with it. Fast Forward eight years, I'm at university on a friend's radio show and decided to do a rap verse for a laugh.” This is what I meant when I said it takes guts. Guts and a good vibe create a spur of the moment decision that can spark something amazing.
“Something clicked in me after that and I started writing verses again. I used to record them on my phone and send them to friends for feedback. Then my friend Kieran urged me to go to the studio and start recording professionally, and I ended up releasing two EPs The Mahdi and The Mahdi II shortly after that.”
Writing was also a very big passion of hers from a young age. Fattima decided to start a blog just before she finished university, created as a space to share information on socio-political issues relating to gender, race, capitalism and education. “I used to write once or twice a month and this pretty much got my creative juices flowing and inspired me to write my first book Love Don’t Come Easy: The Modern Struggle.”
Passion is a great tool in the creation of any art form, Fattima explains that what inspires her is “ the belief that absolutely everything is possible if you put in the effort, time and energy.” She continues; “I'm quite an energetic person and always try to look at everything through a positive lens and this is what I often convey in my music. I know a lot of people get stuck trying to please others, working in jobs they don't like and some, if not all, are dealing with personal struggles.”
She also lets us in a little bit deeper. “I've dealt with depression, the loss of my brother and a whole range of other issues. I try to be as honest as possible about everything I've been through in the hopes that someone else will hear it and be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they are not alone and that they can and will overcome. My life's motto is: there are no limits, only challenges.” Speaking up about life’s battles makes us stronger, so big up for the T here Fattima.
With every curve ball thrown our way, a new opportunity arises, and in Fattima’s case, her music is growing. “I was hoping to release an EP this year, but I've been performing a hell of a lot so decided to take some time to work on myself. I've started practising yoga and learning to play the piano which has been a breath of fresh air. I'm going on tour in October and November with shows booked in Slovenia, Norway and London so I'm looking forward to that. Once that's out of the way, I'll be working on the rest of the EP with Gilkicker Studios and, if all goes well, that will be released sometime in 2020.”
Apart from being a successful rapper and writer, Fattima also dabbles in the realm of the ultra cool: pro-skating! Blows my mind to know that this queen, after taking skating up as a hobby after university, rose to professional level in 2015 with a UK festival tour she joined through BUMP roller-disco. “Since then I've had the pleasure of performing a 6-month show at the Barbican Theatre, skating in a number of music videos, including Mike Williams, Give It Up and even skating at Malta Fashion Week 2018.”
This girl is on fire. Top notch cool in my books. Kill it sister!