Finnish rapper Mariska was born Anna Marie Rahikainen on February 19, 1979, in Helsinki. A childhood pianist, she left Finland in 1998 to attend college in London, then returned in 2002. That same year marked the release of her debut album, Toisin Sanoen. A hit in her homeland, Toisin Sanoen included the radio singles "Tarkasta Tämä" and "Anteexi/Tee Ze/Hiphoptauti," both of which cracked the Finnish Top 10. Mariska's two subsequent albums, 2004's Memento Mori and 2005's Suden Hetki, were both nominated for Emma Awards. She then joined the jazz-influenced punk group Mariska & Pahat Sudet, whose self-titled, gold-certified debut was released in 2010. After remaining with the group for 2012's Kukkurukuu, Mariska resumed her solo career in 2016 with Matador.
