Ikkimel


Melina Gaby Strauß, known professionally as Ikkimel, is a German rapper from Berlin-Tempelhof.

Life

Ikkimel originates from Berlin-Tempelhof and completed a combined bachelor's degree in German Philology and Social and Cultural Anthropology with a focus on linguistics at Freie Universität Berlin. After beginning her master's degree in linguistics, she started working in the Brain Language Laboratory in 2018. After her father's death due to blood cancer she started making music, taking on the name Ikkimel.

Career

In 2021, Ikkimel managed to obtain funding from Initiative Musik. She released her first singles in 2022 and followed up with her first EP Aszendent Bitch on May 5, 2023. Her provocative lyrics contain clearly sexualized language; common themes include being a bitch, partying, drugs and sex, and she often includes subtle wordplay. She makes fun of macho behavior. Musically, she uses hyperpop and Jersey Club quotes with choppy beats and trance and house samples. She also describes her music as "Fotzenstyle", meaning "cunt-style".
In 2023, Ikkimel was signed by Four Music, after which she debuted with the single Keta und Krawall, produced by Barré, and reached number 89 in the German charts.
The track Bezahlen from the EP Hat sie nicht gesagt, released in 2024, was used in the same year by Die PARTEI in a radio election commercial for the 2024 European elections. The broadcast on its radio program You FM was refused by Hessischer Rundfunk because it suspected that the song contained content that was harmful to minors. The broadcaster lost the subsequent court case initiated by Die PARTEI before the administrative court in Frankfurt am Main, so the commercial was broadcast in the early evening program on May 15.
On February 14, 2025, Ikkimel released her debut album Fotze. The album was critically acclaimed and it was emphasized that sexist language was counteracted through her radical female perspective. The question of whether this reproduces the male gaze of female sexuality is answered by reference to the text of the piece Jetzt erst recht, in which she raps: "Is Ikkimel still feminist at all? Suddenly the little pissers pretend that it is important to them." Ikkimel described her own political stance as “definitely feminist. The album also references other musicians such as Lady Bitch Ray, SXTN and Shirin David in its content and musical design.

Private life

In 2024, Ikkimel made her relationship with fellow rapper Ski Aggu public. In June of 2025 they announced, they had separated.

Discography

Albums

  • 2025: ''FOTZE''

    EPs

  • 2023: Aszendent Bitch
  • 2024: ''Hat sie nicht gesagt''

    Singles

  • 2022: Cola Zero
  • 2023: Zu raus
  • 2023: Ich seh gut aus
  • 2023: Vorbei an der Schlange
  • 2023: Erste Sahne
  • 2023: Lifesaver
  • 2023: Keta und Krawall
  • 2024: Bikini grell
  • 2024: Fussballmänner
  • 2024: Hat sie nicht gesagt
  • 2024: Deutschland
  • 2024: Männergefühle
  • 2024: Wellness
  • 2024: Unisexklo
  • 2024: Baddie
  • 2025: Forever Swagger
  • 2025: Jiggy
  • 2025: Nachtschicht
  • 2025: ''Germany''