Di#se // Interview

What about Di#se? This young rapper is 17 years old. Is he talented, bright and full of future? Yes, he is. He was announced as the hope of the French Rap on social media, opening his heart for an authentic and very touching interview. Di#se, whose real name is Désiré, is an ambitious rapper from Quimper in Brittany, has sincerely amazed us when it comes to his career. His latest single, 'Genie', already listed in several Spotify playlists of the best rappers, has set the bar very high and can convince new listeners. The young rapper tells us everything about his devouring desire to break into rap thanks to his tenacity and talent.

Can you tell me about your career? I started rap in 2014, when my big brother left Cameroon to join me in France. He is the one who passed on the love for this style of music, and things took a professional turn in 2016 when I participated in the Buzz Booster contest in Brittany. Basically, it’s an association called Hip Hop New School, which aims to promote Hip Hop culture in Brittany, but also throughout France. I won the final in Marseille and from there everything accelerated. I was signed by a label and then I could start working on my first album.

I heard that this first album named Parfum was due out early September? Waaa! There are leaks around me! I see you already have a lot of info! (laughs) What I can tell you right now is that it's a really introspective album. The first album of an artist is a bit of a business card and people need to know who you are. The challenge behind this album was to propose something in keeping with my "artistic versatility". It was important to me that people could pin down the man I am behind my music.

Why did you choose to focus more on introspection? I'm still young, and to my mind I didn't have the experience to talk about the world in general. I didn't want to fall into a meaningless and boring stuff. I preferred to focus on myself and the way I see things.

What prompted you to call yourself Di#se? First, it was the diminutive of my first name, and secondly, on a piano, some keys are "above" others and it was a little ego trip touch to mean that.

Can you describe your Rap to an English public who doesn't know you yet? I think my Rap is different from other rappers because I'm more on the "search". I'm really a versatile artist who touches a lot of different style, and I always try to find that little thing that others don't have. In truth, I adapt to all kinds of production - whether it is Rap, R'n'B or even the Bolero. I also think that lyrically, I am really authentic and sincere. I'm not afraid to put my fragility forward.

Are there artists that inspire you? Yes, I like artists like Richard Bona and Stromae. I also find that Kendrick Lamar is also looking for new sounds, just as I am.

If you had to choose to make a feature of only one artist, who would you choose? I would say Damso, because I already know what kind of music I can make with him. I already have proposals in my head that I would like to make to him. For the moment, I'm going to bet on the success of my first album Parfum (laughs). The bet is that it works as it did for the Angèle's debut album. [e.d: a young Belgian artist of 23 years who began by playing as support act of the concerts of Damso in 2017, before the release of her first album named Brol, released in 2018, which will be awarded two prizes at Victoires De La Musique in France in 2019 and hit the Top Charts. She's now perceived as a feminist Pop artist in France and Belguim].

It's hard to break into rap in 2019 with so many rappers in the industry? Yes, it's difficult, of course, because nothing guarantees you success and everything is random. There are rappers who are real killers in terms of flow, lyrics and instruments and, unfortunately, they do not stop working. It is often a problem of trend. It’s enough that if you make songs that do not correspond to the current musical fashion, one will never hear about you. It's hard to build a real fanbase around you and find people who really support you.

And what do you do to stand out from others and build your own fanbase? I'll tell you the truth: I have a lot of trouble with social networks and that's not what I handle best. When my song 'Genie' came out, we got a lot of views, but I do not typically get a lot. I'm not booming on Instagram. It proves that it's music that speaks to people and not our efficiency on social networks. The most important thing is that people share my songs - that's all that matters to me.

Working with Youssoupha is a great opportunity to introduce you to a new audience. Have you benefited from his advice? He's a great guy, whether it's spiritually or humanly, it's someone who inspires me a lot. With him, I had a huge discussion about the vision we have of music and it really stayed in my mind. If one day he calls me for a feat, I say yes for sure, I have no doubt about it.

Some time ago, you mentioned that when you decided to devote yourself fully to music, the rest of your family in Cameroon had trouble understanding this decision. Things have changed now since you were described as one of the upand-coming stars of French rap? Not really. It's a difference of environment, you know. In Africa, it's more complicated to have the openness that we have here in the West. There, school rhymes with success. Even if you are born with a talent for football or music, if you want to succeed, you will have to come to Europe, because it is extremely rare to succeed while living in Africa. Everything is much more tough there. If you succeed, your family is happy for you, but the real question everyone asks is "How lucky is he to succeed?" When my family remains skeptical about my career, I do not take it personally because I know we are often the fruit of our environment - if they had lived here, they would think differently.

I heard that you write on notebooks all the time. Is writing is a constant need? Writing is a big part of my life. I'm talking about what I know about myself, my weaknesses and what I'm beginning to understand about the world. I do it from the moment I find that what I say is relevant. Otherwise, I prefer to keep it quiet.

You were announced to play at two famous summer festival in France which are FrancoFolies De La Rochelle and Vieilles Charrues. That’s super impressive ! Did you expect it? For the Vieilles Charrues, I have to admit that I was prepared somehow. Let me tell you the story behind it. My manager had contact with them because they have followed my entire career since the Buzz Booster. The programmers of the festival came to see me at one of my concerts and that's when I knew they wanted me. But I'll admit that the day it was announced publicly, even if it was a month later, it was like I had just discovered it! It was a crazy day cause everyone was texting me and I was like a kid who won something you know. (laughs)

How do you imagine your career will look in 5 years? I hope to become one of the most important artists in France. I wanna make it. That's what I want in any case.

Do you see yourself doing this feature with Damso? This feat will not wait 5 years - it will take place before (laughs).

DillyDiese

Words © Fanny Hill Scott Photography 1 © Vittorio Bettini 2 © CD92/Julia Brechler