prettyugly: Turning Pain into Purpose Through Music
From Poland to Luxembourg, prettyugly — real name Tobiasz Behnke, or simply Tobi — has lived through a lot of change. From early name swaps to finding his true identity as prettyugly, the emo-leaning rapper has found his lane in raw, unfiltered honesty. His music isn’t just songs; it’s therapy — for him and for the people who listen.
Overcoming struggles
“I think we all have our vices and struggles in life,” Tobi admits. “Some have it worse than others. I’m still not over my first love, I struggle with drug addiction and self-harm — and that’s what I write about. To make people feel less alone.”
The impact of his lyrics
It’s that unguarded truth that separates prettyugly from the crowd. His lyrics cut deep, diving into pain, addiction, and mental health — topics that many shy away from. Yet for him, that’s exactly the point. “One person told me they started making music because of me,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about. How many people write songs about self-harm and actually mean it?”
Trials and tribulations
The journey wasn’t easy. “Three years ago, I was completely terrible,” he laughs. “To my friends I was just ‘our little music guy.’ Nobody believed in me. I trashed my mic once out of anger. Now those same people tell me I’m next up.”
Accomplishments
Today, prettyugly has earned over 20,000 streams and landed on 900 playlists, but for him, the real milestones come from people. From being stopped on the street by a fan calling his music “fire,” to someone drawing his portrait — now his Spotify profile pic — the love has kept him going through the hardest times.
“Honestly, I don’t even wanna reach superstar status,” he says. “Fake snakes, stress — no thank you. I just wanna make a living doing what I love. It’s not about millions, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to have it.”
What’s next
With his upcoming single “King and Queen,” dropping on Lil Peep’s day of death, prettyugly continues to honor the emotional vulnerability that defines his sound — a blend of emo, rap, and pure soul.
Goals
“My goal with this press is to reach people who might feel alone in life,” he says. “Music helps and heals, and that’s a fact.”
As he puts it best: “Either at the top or in a bag — this music thing is all I got.”
And to his fans, he leaves one final message:
“You deserve to be loved and cared for.” ❤️
