Awkwafina Quick Info | |
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Height | 5 ft 1 in |
Weight | 52 kg |
Date of Birth | June 2, 1988 |
Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
Manager | Kovert Creative |
Awkwafina is an American rapper, actress, and social media star who is best known for her explicit music. She has released several hit songs such as Marijuana, Pockiez, and NYC Bitche$. Awkwafina is also known for playing important roles in many movies like Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), Dude (2018), and Ocean’s 8 (2018). She also has quite an immense social media presence with more than 800k followers on Instagram, over 150k followers on Twitter, 100k plus followers on Facebook, and more than 100k subscribers on YouTube.
Born Name
Nora Lum
Nick Name
Awkwafina
Sun Sign
Gemini
Born Place
New York City, United States
Residence
New York City, United States
Nationality
Education
Awkwafina went to LaGuardia High School. While studying there, she learned to play trumpet as well as took jazz and classical music lessons. Later, she did her major in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the State University of New York at Albany.
She then joined the Beijing Language and Culture University in China and studied Mandarin from 2006 to 2008.
Occupation
Rapper, Actress
Family
- Father –Â Wally
- Mother – Her mother was a painter.
Manager
She is managed by Kovert Creative.
Genre
Alternative Hip Hop, Comedy Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop
Instruments
Vocals, Trumpet
Labels
Independent
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 1 in or 155 cm
Weight
52 kg or 114.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Asian
She is of Chinese descent on her father’s side and of South Korean descent on her mother’s side.
Hair Color
Black (Natural)
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Wears a nose ring
- Petite stature
- Trumpet tattoo on the right arm
Brand Endorsements
She has done endorsement work brands such as –
- Gap
- Modcloth
She was seen in the 2021 Super Bowl LV commercial for General Motors alongside Will Ferrell and Kenan Thompson.
Best Known For
- Having played important roles in several films such as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2014), Dude (2018), Ocean’s Eight (2018), and Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
- Starting her own web talk-show, TAWK, in 2015
- Releasing several hit songs like My Vag (2012), NYC Bitche$ (2013), and Pockiez (2018)
First Album
She released her first album, Yellow Ranger, on February 11, 2014. The album included 11 tracks including Queef, Fresh Water Salmon, Marijuana, My Vag, and Yellow Ranger. She released the album independently.
First Film
She made her theatrical film debut as Christine in the comedy movie, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, in 2016.
As a voice actress, Awkwafina made her theatrical film debut by voicing the character of Quail in the comedy-adventure movie, Storks, in 2016.
First TV Show
She made her first TV show appearance in MTV’s series, Girl Code, in 2014.
As a voice actress, she made her TV show debut in the animated show, Regular Show, in 2015.
Awkwafina Favorite Things
- Films – A League of Their Own (1992), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Blue Streak (1999), Best in Show (2000), Saving Face (2005)
Source – Rotten Tomatoes
Awkwafina Facts
- She was born and brought up in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City.
- Awkwafina was just 4 years old when her mother passed away. So, she grew up in the care of her paternal grandparents.
- Her paternal great-grandfathers had immigrated to the United States in the 1940s and started a Chinese restaurant named Lum’s in Flushing, Queens.
- She was 13 years old when she started rapping.
- At the age of 16, she started going by the name of “Awkwafina” when she was in college. According to her, the name represents an alter ego to her character which is “quiet and more passive.”
- Before attaining stardom, she worked as an intern for news organizations called Gotham Gazette and Times Union. She had also been employed as a publicity assistant by Rodale, Inc.
- Both Awkwafina and Nicki Minaj have studied at LaGuardia High School.
- She is inspired by writer Charles Bukowski, essayist Anais Nin, journalist Joan Didion, and musicians Tom Waits and Chet Baker.
- In 2012, Awkwafina released the song, My Vag, in response to Mickey Avalon’s My D**k.
- She was once attacked by a group of squirrels while she was at Greenpoint in Brooklyn.
- Her album, Yellow Ranger, is in reference to the Yellow Ranger in Power Ranger series.
- She got fired from her job as a publicist after the company found out that she had written the explicit song, My Vag.
- The web talk-show, TAWK, was started after she was approached by the popular YouTube channel, Astronauts Wanted, in 2015. Later, her work earned her a nomination for a Streamy Award in the News and Culture category in 2016.
- In 2014, she was selected to take the stage during Tenacious D’s music festival, Festival Supreme.
- In 2015, a book, titled Awkwafina’s NYC, Lum’s travel guide to New York City, was published.
- She, along with hip-hop artists Dumbfounddead, Rekstizzy, and Lyricks, was featured in Salima Koroma’s documentary, Bad Rap, in 2016.
- In 2017, she received the title of Kore Asian Media’s Female Breakout of the Year.
- In 2018, Awkwafina starred alongside Constance Wu as a college friend in the film, Crazy Rich Asians. She created her own dialogues during the shoot of the movie.
- In 2018, she hosted Saturday Night Live alongside musician Travis Scott.
- Awkwafina has rejected roles that would have required her to do a different accent.
- In February 2022, Awkwafina announced that she was taking a break from Twitter.
- Visit her official website @Â awkwafina.com.
Featured Image by Casi Moss / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0