8 minute read
YARO // Interview
A great flow, sounds coming from the entire world, a dazzling ascent in French Rap... I speak, obviously, of Yaro. This rapper, from the Parisian suburbs in Esssone, has everything he needs to seduce his audience. A feather, beautiful melodies, and above all; a real desire to succeed in life, while remaining faithful to his values and those who saw him grow and evolve.
Benevolent, sincere and charismatic, Yaro speaks today to A Rap & A Cup Of Tea about his mixtape called La Spé, released last February. Back in full with the unmissable hit 'Mec De Cité’ featuring two pillars of French Rap, PLK and Ninho, Yaro shows once again the amplitude of his talent.
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Formerly known as Sirsy, Yaro began his solo career in 2017, and has continued to dazzle his audience through his collaborations and projects. He told us evertyhing on his beginnings in music until the birth of his last project. With simplicity and honesty, Yaro shows us the essential place that music has in his life.
Can you talk about your peculiarity within French Rap to an English audience about to get to know you?
I think I’m a pretty open-minded artist. I can make songs sound more 'street' right next to songs with much more melody; using auto-tune, afro-musical influence, etc. I’m really openminded on that. It’s a mix of everything I like.
How did you get into Rap?
When I was 11, I listened to a lot of Rap, and I also watched a lot of Rap stories like Alpha 5.20. I loved watching rapper’s interviews, and that’s what made me want to rap. I wanted to make the music they made, and I threw myself into it without hesitation.
When did you tell yourself "I really want to be a rapper and do everything for Rap"?
I think it came as soon as college began. I was 14/15, I think, and I knew I wanted to do that. You know, I also worked a bit in the factory, and I knew that it wasn’t the life I wanted for me. I said to myself: “You have to focus on what you like to do.” All I wanted to do was music. I started rapping when I was 13, and by 15, it was obvious to me.
In the song ‘Kesoni’ you say "Henni told me: "Yaro, glory, you won't like it.” Can you tell me more?
Actually, we were at my house with Ninho, and we were talking about it. You know, Ninho is my brother, so don’t just talk about music; we talk about everything... And this day, we had a discussion about all the success that is happening to him at the moment. He explained to me that success brought him many good things, but also many disadvantages, for which we're not necessarily prepared. And since he knows me well, he told me that if, one day, I had the same success as him, I wouldn’t necessarily enjoy it well. Being in the spotlight and everything; I’m not deluded; all that stuff embarrassed me a bit. But the more success you aim for, the more you are exposed - it’s a lot of pressure.
Do you feel that the behavior of people towards you changed since you breakthrough?
In my eyes, I haven’t really made it yet (laughs). In my early days, I was happy with a few views and listens on the platforms where I posted my music, like Myspace, for example. But now that I see that I can go even further, my ambition becomes even bigger... But it's true to say that I feel there’s now more excitement around me, there’s no question about it.
In 'À L'Arrivée' you say "The photos, the comments, the likes, we forget the inside of the human being, but life catches us up, slaps us…” Is this one of the negative aspects of fame for you?
Yes totally. Now people are focused on scores, streams, performances etc, but they forget that behind all this, there's a human being like everyone else. When you’re little, you think that Rap allows you to shine and that’s it, but growing up you realize that the higher you go, the more disadvantages there are. As soon as I go outside, I can see that things have changed.
Your album features songs that are completely different from each other. We find Afrotrap with the song 'La Galère' in feat with 4Keus, but there are also big hits like 'Mec De Cité' with PLK and Ninho, and much darker songs, such as 'Gillet Par Balle' for example. How did you get the right balance when making these different records?
For me, it was simple in itself, because I had no barriers, so I put my voice on the beats I liked without overthinking. I listen to a lot of songs in general, whether it’s Funk, Rap, Soul... So, I could really do what I liked, and with my team, we selected the best songs for the mixtape.
In your eyes, is the difference important between coming back with an album or a mixtape?
Yes, I think there's a nuance. I think that when you allow yourself to release a real album, it’s because you have a real audience following you, waiting for your new releases, etc. You give them a real ‘baby’ if you know what I mean. I once again preferred to make a mixtape, because it's more like a ‘business card’ and even if I have already released two of them before, this one is even deeper. There, I chose to focus myself on only three types of music, as you said earlier. It will also allow us to see what the audience prefers.
Why did you choose to call it "La Spé"?
To tell you the truth, we were supposed to do an album. And one morning on my way to the studio, I started to wonder, and I thought maybe it was a little hasty. I thought that before making the album we should do a special project. You see, for example, if you go out for a special occasion, you’re going to put on a special pair of shoes and you’re going to wear a special hairstyle, etc. If you want to talk to someone you like, you’re gonna tell them something special. You know what I mean? (laughs)
What's the song of the mixtape that characterizes you the most?
I would say ‘Kesoni’ whether in the choice of the instrumental, or the lyrics, it's the song that shows who I am and what my ambitions are. I also like 'Four' for its sounds. In truth, all the songs had their place in this mixtape.
There are much more introspective pieces where you indulge much more, as in 'Derniers Mots' and 'À L'Arrivée’. Is it a difficult exercise for you to open your heart this way?
Actually, I did it without thinking. I could have gone even further into confessions, but I kept a certain modesty on some things. (laughs) When I was still at school, I used to love to write stories and essays. I enjoyed to express my visions of things. I wrote a lot of stuff, and as I had to talk about my own experience for this mixtape, it was even simpler.
In your songs, you talk a lot about the street. Was the music your escape somehow?
Yes, of course. At school, I wasn’t necessarily a good student, and that influenced me. I didn’t wanted to work for someone else than myself, and have just a little paycheck, or just be a dealer in the hood all my life so I had to do something with my life. Music was really what I wanted to do, so it's what I did. I had the opportunity to do something concrete with it, so I did it naturally.
To talk about this feat again with PLK and Ninho, it’s huge to bring together such famous rappers. You already had features with them on your previous mixtape À Zéro, but what gave you the idea to bring them together for your new project?
We did a lot of duets with Ninho because this guy is family, and we used to work a lot together. So, for me, it was essential to do something new with him and try something cool. And with PLK, we had already done the song 'Salut' but it’s a kicker song where there was no chorus. I thought it would be nice to do a song with a chorus and everything. So, with my producers, I agreed it would be nice to do this song together.
What would be the next featuring you’d like to do if you had carte blanche?
It’s complicated to choose. (laughs) Maybe Jorja Smith? She's an artist I like. Or Drake would be crazy! (laughs)
And a trip to London is something you’d like?
Yes, that would be lit! Why not work with English producers or make songs there? It would be huge. I find that there are a lot of songs coming from the English music scene that looks like what I do, also the Nigerian and Ghana sound influences. I really find myself liking music from there.
What are your future plans?
For now, I will support my project, and try to take it as far as possible by broadcasting new clips and then I think I might release an album by the end of the year.
Instagram: @YaroSirsy
Words © Fanny Hill Scott Photography © Zeubleu
