English Version | The woman behind the curtain

01 Sep 2022
By Pedro Vasconcelos

Whether through a curtain, like Oz, or a mask, in the case of rapper M¥SS KETA, behind the fiction hides authenticity. Unlike musicians who seek to preserve their privacy, the Italian artist uses her anonymity to question us: Is truth overestimated?

Whether through a curtain, like Oz, or a mask, in the case of rapper M¥SS KETA, behind the fiction hides authenticity. Unlike musicians who seek to preserve their privacy, the Italian artist uses her anonymity to question us: Is truth overestimated?

I have never wanted to hide my face as much as, after a Night At The Office, the mythical party that turns the Vogue and GQ newsroom into the best nightclub in town, I was caught in the bathroom with a celebrity whose identity will remain anonymous. And it wasn't even on purpose, it was one of those chemistry questions that even if I had paid more attention to in high school physics and chemistry classes, I wouldn't understand. The party seemed to be going as planned, my duties had long since lapsed, and I permitted myself to consume a drink. It's not one without two, and two without three, so before I knew it, I was filled with the euphoria felt when alcohol warms the soul. Then I see the celebrity whose presence has been the subject of many prayers, an important fact considering that I am not even a Catholic. Since subtlety has never been my strong point, especially when I am "happy," I stared at him until I looked back at myself, at which point I realized where I was (my workplace), who I was looking at (a celebrity I had never seen in my life), and who was around me (my colleagues and bosses). To my surprise, when I dared to raise my eyes from the floor, this man was already approaching me. We made eye contact again and as if by telepathic message, we agreed: the bathroom would be our destination. The decision (which I insist proved catastrophic when, a few minutes later, I had the entire Vogue team knocking at my door. The stares, which had been so discreet to me, were painfully obvious to my co-workers. It was a scandal, I had never felt so embarrassed in my life, I had just humiliated myself in the most public way possible. Or at least I would have done so if the story described above was nothing more than a work of fiction, a lie. No, the above words are not true, but does it matter? If there is no way to prove their authenticity, nor to question me since I possess light anonymity (only the name signed above identifies me), isn't it better to tell an interesting story, rather than a true one? Anonymity alleviates the importance of truth, making fiction, or even perhaps mythology, possible.

Few people understand the importance of underestimating the truth as well as M¥SS KETA, an Italian rapper. Born in the heart of Milan's nightlife, KETA is a true mystery in skirts, indeed miniskirts (actually, micro). The artist is never seen without a mask, usually made from some iridescent material, and without sunglasses, which take up his entire face. Her anonymity is much more than a brand image, it is the characteristic that most informs her identity - or in this case, the absence of it. It is in the lack of truth that the artist creates what she calls a "Myssketian mythology": like coming from Botticelli's shell, M¥SS KETA was born from the foam of the waves, even though Milan, her city of origin, has no coastline. It was in the capital of Italian Fashion that the artist took her first steps as a divinity of the club scene, a city that she confesses continues to be inseparable from her art. In an interview with Vogue Portugal, the revolutionary artist (who sometimes speaks in the third person) confesses: "Love sometimes can't be described in words, but Milan was where M¥SS, and her world, were born, so it's a big component of her personality. Milan mixes the Italian past with the energy of the future, which is exactly what I try to do." The passion he feels for the metropolis is reciprocated.For more than a decade, M¥SS KETA has been seen as one of the most important voices (because expensive it couldn't be) of the Milanese underground. While the connection to her hometown is strong, it is undeniable that her popularity is not restricted to the city, as she is one of the most interesting artists in the Italian, and even European music industry, achieving quantifiable mainstream success in recent years. "Wonder, mystery, inclusion," is how the rapper describes her place in the music scene, emphasizing the last point insistently, crediting her LGBTQIA+ audience for her success. It is not only Milan that M¥SS KETA considers her home, but also the queer community is seen as essential to her art: "My project was born within the LGBTQIA+ community, this very large and powerful family has given me incredible strength, the essential to have the strength to never stop."

M¥SS KETA is not the first artist to hide her identity from the public. anonymity as a way to shield their privacy. Although desired by most, the price of fame is high, progressively consuming the lives of the "lucky" ones who can afford it. Hiding one's identity is like a loophole in the fame game, a way to, in the timeless words of Hannah Montana, have the "best of both worlds." If a wig was enough for that fictional character, in the real world this omission is much more laborious. World-renowned artists such as electronic band Daft Punk, or even pop sensation Sia, cover their faces with helmets and wigs, respectively (although thinking about the possibility of costume changes is comical, to say the least). Although the charm and personal life of an artist are essential to their "popularity," anonymity, paradoxically, contributes to their success. The mystery fascinates us, the omnipresent tension between the real identity of these artists and the persona that, for all we know, maybe fake, captivates us. M¥SS KETA is the ultimate exponent of this phenomenon, selling us not only a character but a narrative.

If Hannah Montana and Sia stick to simple wigs, the Italian rapper takes the theatricality with open arms. The artist has used every imaginable object to hide her face, from feathers to fake beards, even watches have been instrumentalized to ensure the disguise of M¥SS KETA. Maintaining anonymity is essential for the artist, who reveals that when she hides her identity, "people are forced to focus on what I say, this gives my actions and words incredible power." A seriousness of response is a rare condition in the rapper's discourse, who uses masks not only to ensure the attention of her audience but also to describe her place in the music scene, emphasizing the latter point insistently, crediting her LGBTQIA+ audience for her success. It is not only Milan that M¥SS KETA considers her home, the queer community is also assumed to be essential to her art: "My project was born within the LGBTQIA+ community, this very large and powerful family has given me incredible strength, the essential to have the strength to never stop." M¥SS KETA is not the first artist to hide her identity from the public, many are those who choose anonymity as a way to shield their privacy. Although desired by most, the price of fame is high, progressively consuming the lives of the "lucky" ones who can afford it. Hiding one's identity is like a loophole in the fame game, a way to, in the timeless words of Hannah Montana, have the "best of both worlds." If a wig was enough for that fictional character, in the real world this omission is much more laborious. World-renowned artists such as electronic band Daft Punk, or even pop sensation Sia, cover their faces with helmets and wigs, respectively (although thinking about the possibility of costume changes is comical, to say the least). Even though an artist's charm and personal life are essential to his or her "popularity," anonymity, paradoxically, contributes to his success. The mystery fascinates us, the omnipresent tension between the real identity of these artists and the persona that, for all we know, maybe fake, captivates us. M¥SS KETA is the ultimate exponent of this phenomenon, selling us not only a character but a narrative.

If Hannah Montana and Sia stick to simple wigs, the Italian rapper takes on the theatricality with open arms. The artist has used every imaginable object to hide her face, from feathers to fake beards, even watches have been instrumentalized to ensure the disguise of M¥SS KETA. Maintaining anonymity is essential for the artist, who reveals that when she hides her identity, "people are forced to focus on what I say, this gives my actions and words incredible power." The seriousness of response is a rare condition in the rapper's speech, who uses masks not only to ensure the attention of her audience but of learning to accept things for what they are, for what they are supposed to be so that we can enjoy them." The few times, we sense the rapper more serene, ironically, when she defends her narrative. "Yes, I tell a lot of stories, sometimes memories change according to emotions and time," the artist confesses. This metamorphosis is something we have to accept, our dependence on truth is exhausting. As M¥SS KETA warns, "in this day and age who can tell the truth from the lie? And does it matter that much?" Even though the line between reality and fiction is difficult to draw, it also has its positive sides. Whereas for most celebrities rumors and scandals are piously feared, the rapper welcomes them with open arms, incorporating them into the fascinating Myssketian mythology. When asked about her favorite rumor, she reveals, "It was in the papers that I was having a love affair with a famous Italian politician, with lots of details and very intimate particulars, a little embarrassing, but it was super embarrassing." As one might expect, M¥SS KETA prefers the doubt to linger, omitting how much of this story happened. But if the artist has taught us anything, it is that in the face of a good story, the value of truth can diminish considerably.

Translated from the original on The Gossip Issue of Vogue Portugal.Full credits and stories on the print issue. 

Pedro Vasconcelos By Pedro Vasconcelos

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