Honest. Queer. Self-determined. It was the search for a perspective and direction in life that drove German-Iranian Mina Richman to music at an early age. Born in Berlin but raised in the small town of Bad Salzuflen, she oscillates between worlds and discovers treasures like Joan as Police Woman and Nina Simone in her aunt’s CD collection. Inspired by these and the loneliness of the coronavirus pandemic, she released her debut EP “Jaywalker” in 2022, which earned her a nomination for the PopNRW Award as Best Newcomer. Raised “accidentally” as a feminist by her father, as she once put it in a “Zeit” interview, she used the famous Cher quote “Mom, I am a rich man” for her stage name. With “Baba Said,” she achieved a viral hit in 2022: a song of solidarity with the protests in Iran. She sees combining activism and music not as an option, but as a responsibility. Her debut album, Grown Up (2024), also addresses personal and social themes: growing up, cultural uprooting, mental health, and body image. The result is a multifaceted sound that oscillates between soul, folk, indie, and hip hop.