COLORSxSTUDIOS

You were born in Bondy, a town in the suburbs of Paris, and grew up in the in the Cité des 4000 housing project. What was it like growing up there?

Les 4000 is a housing estate that is well known all over the Ile de France region. The population is very diverse and everyone lives together regardless of their origin or religion. Growing up there really taught me about sharing and how to get by.

What type of music did you grow up listening to?

I listened to everything! I’m the youngest of 8 children, so I was influenced by what my older brothers and sisters listened to. That included everything from French rap to R&B, pop, and U.S. rap. I was also exposed to a lot of Congolese music because of my parents.

You started your career as a member of the rap group 4Keus. How did you meet and what it was like working together?

We were childhood friends—some of us met at nursery school! Making music together came gradually and naturally. We each put a few euros into a collection until we got to 40 and could afford to rent a studio. When we were there, we’d each write our own little verses. That’s how it started.

What made you want to embark on a solo career?

After making several albums together I felt the need to take on a new challenge. I wanted to see if I was capable of making music on my own. 4Keus pushed me to do it too. We’ve always tried to push each other to the top. Of course, the audience pushed me a lot too. I got nicknamed “la Melo” and other artists invited me to feature on their songs.

Your 2022 debut album, ‘Mélo’, referenced that nickname. Mélo is an emerging genre in France inspired by melodic trap music. Why inspired you to embrace it?

I come from a generation of artists for whom it wasn’t popular to sing. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone by making Mélo music. Other people followed.

Speaking of collaborative projects, last year you were on the cover of the first issue of Air Afrique, a new cultural platform dedicated to Afro-diasporic arts, conversations and knowledge. 

When Air Afrique approached me, I immediately fell in love with the aesthetics of their project and the creativity of the team. Working with them felt like I was rediscovering my cultural heritage. It was a turning point in my career in terms of my image. Now, when I see how they’re evolving—collaborating with Louis Vuitton and doing lots of great projects with the diaspora—I feel proud to have made my contribution.

Tell us about ‘T.I.A’, the track you performed for COLORS.

I started writing ‘T.I.A’ a long time ago. I played an extract of it in my show at the Olympia in Paris two years ago and the public have been asking for it ever since. Doing it on COLORS felt like a good way to thank them for the wait.

The track will feature on your upcoming project, ‘BDLM Vol. 1’. What can you tell us about it? We’ve heard that it will be a vehicle to support a new generation of artists in the same way you were supported when you started out. 

I’ve been watching the new generation of Melo artists rise up for a while now. I really wanted to give them a bit of my strength. I thought, “what could be better than to make a project to help artists get discovered, or to get more exposure?” I’ve done a lot of studio sessions with the featured artists to get the best out of them. Being an “artistic director” took me, yet again, out of my comfort zone. I’ve had to be a jack of all trades to ensure that the project reflects my vision.

What are your ambitions for the future?

I want the BDLM project to be successful. I want to continue to make music for the public, and to not necessarily be where people expect me to be.

If you could send one message to the COLORS audience right now, what would it be?

Thank you all for the strength. I’m aware of how lucky I am to have an audience like you.