Who is Tommy Genesis? Rapper who sparked outrage with her portrayal of goddess Kali in 'True Blue'

Canadian rapper and model Tommy Genesis is under fire for ‘depicting’ herself as ‘Goddess Kali’ as she bears a striking resemblance to the deity in her latest music video ‘True Blue’. She is facing backlash over social media, as she took to her Instagram and shared a post in which she is seen painted blue, adorned in gold jewellery, and wearing a red bindi on her forehead. 
Netizens reacted to the post and criticised her. Many of them asked her to "delete the song", and some called out for disrespecting the sentiments of the Hindu religion. 

One of the social media users wrote, "Delete your new song, don’t play with the Hindu religion.”Another user wrote, "This is beyond disrespectful. Depicting yourself as Goddess Kali--one of the most powerful and sacred deities in Hinduism--and then using that image for vulgar, sexualized moves is not artistic expression; it's straight-up cultural and religious mockery. You may not realise the depth of what you're doing, but for millions of people, Kali is a symbol of fierce protection, divine feminine power, and spiritual strength--not your costume for shock value....Take accountability. Take this down. And educate yourself before turning someone's belief system into your aesthetic gimmick." Another commented, "This is not art."

“This creator must be cancelled...., stop using our religion for your cheap publicity. Take art classes, do something creative," another user wrote on Instagram."This is not funny, this is called cultural appropriation," wrote a netizen.

Who is Tommy Genesis? 

Tommy Genesis, originally Genesis Yasmine Mohanraj, is a Canadian rapper and model. Born in Vancouver, she has Tamil and Swedish heritage. Reportedly, her father, Mohanraj, is Tamil-Malayali Christian and moved from India to Canada. Her mother is of Swedish descent. She graduated from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design where she studied film and sculpture. Genesis is her birth name.

Genesis began recording in 2013, signed with Awful Records in 2015. She  released her debut mixtape ‘World Vision’, collaborating with Abra on the track "Hair Like Water Wavy Like the Sea." She later signed with Downtown Records/Universal and released her debut album ‘Tommy Genesis’ in 2018, featuring the single ‘100 Bad’, which was remixed by Charli XCX. During her career, she has collaborated with artists like JPEGMAFIA and Lana Del Rey, and has also worked with fashion brands like Calvin Klein and appeared at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with M.I.A.

She has gained traction for her provocative and avant-garde style. Her music often delves into themes of gender, identity, and sexuality. In an old interview, she has referred to herself as a ‘fetish rapper.’ An international magazine labelled her as "the internet's most rebellious underground rap queen."

(With inputs from ANI)