If you ask Nubia Yasin to sum herself up, she’ll tell you she’s a multidisciplinary artist, primarily a writer, but also a filmmaker, singer, and performer. What she might not tell you right away is that her creative engine runs on a mix of cultural influences (a Somali mother, a father from Chicago) and the singularly peculiar flavor of Memphis itself.
“This is a strange place,” she says. “It produces very strange people, and I’m happy to lean into my strangeness in every story I tell, no matter the medium.”
🌟 A Positive Cultural Shock
Nubia’s path to UNAPOLOGETIC. began with a year as assistant to founder IMAKEMADBEATS. She came in during a period of personal unlearning, shedding negative assumptions about trust, kindness, and community.
“Coming to UNAPOLOGETIC. was the most positive cultural shock,” she says. “Everyone was unpretentious, kind, curious. It connected me to who I was before I became so invested in protecting myself.”
🌆 Forged in the Memphis Stew
For Nubia, staying in Memphis wasn’t a grand choice. It was more like the city simply wouldn’t let her go.
“Memphis makes it very difficult for you to leave her… but I’m ultimately grateful for having cooked in the stew of this city for so long.”
Memphis gave her a unique perspective, mixing with her multicultural upbringing to form an artistic lens deeply attuned to themes like pain, transformation, and shadows, themes she feels are as relevant to the city as they are to her own story.
🎭 The Sheena Show
Her first big performance with UNAPOLOGETIC., the Sheena Show at the Green Room, was a turning point.
“The amount of help I had, without even asking for it, was eye-opening,” she recalls. “I was used to working alone or with one or two people. This was a whole machine moving in the direction of something I wanted.”
🔮 The Road Ahead
As UNAPOLOGETIC. hits its 10-year milestone, Nubia is looking forward to the unknown.
“I just know what I want to say, and I want to say it louder than I ever have before,” she says. “I’m excited for completely new experiences… and I’m excited about being scared and moving forward anyway.”
🎉 Celebrate at UNAPOLOGETIC.10
You can experience Nubia Yasin’s artistry, and the whole UNAPOLOGETIC. roster at their 10-year anniversary celebration:
📅 August 16, 2025
🕔 5–10 PM
📍 The Ravine @ Memphis Made Brewing Co.
🎟️ Free.00
Expect music, pop-ups, performances, and the kind of creativity that only happens when you give Memphis artists the room to lean into their strange.
Stay tuned to Choose901 for our UNAPOLOGETIC.10 Artist Spotlight Series, featuring more on Nubia and her fellow creatives leading up to the big day.
