8 minute read
MASKA // Interview
You surely have already heard of Maska and his group that brought him to the forefront and conquered the entire country in early 2010 as a true model. Coming from the legendary group Sexion D'Assaut, he's one of those who inspired a whole new generation of rappers.
Unmistakable and incomparable, Maska has also managed to make a name for himself as a solo artist alongside former members of the group such as Gims, Black M, Lefa, Barack Adama.
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The one who claims to be authentic and gracious against all odds, has decided to draw from his experience and from everything around him to create and express his feelings. Always truthful in his lyrics, Maska seems to be honest with himself and took the time to open up to A Rap & A Cup Of Tea about his new project entitled Étoile De Jour.
"When love fades away to summon the darkness, it results in the magnificent project of Maska" and we can confirm that the artist succeeded in opening his heart in this magnificent project that kicks off a new trilogy.
We knew you for all these verses that became classics in the Rap scene, and now we know you in a more Pop register than before and especially in this new project. What made you want to leave your comfort zone?
I think the most important thing is to have fun doing what you do. When you get stuck in a routine it kind of takes the fun out of doing things... I've always been a sentimental rapper who puts a lot of emotion in his lyrics and I find that the melody "helps" this genre of lyrics. The fact that I come from Sexion D'Assaut, it helped a lot because in fact, Sexion brought a lot of musicality to French Rap. It truly shaped me in my musical culture as an artist or as a rapper.
Is there a difference between the two?
I had to take singing lessons to become a full-blown artist. With melody I find that you can convey more different emotions than with Rap. For me, rapping is one style of singing among many that exist and it would be a shame not to take full advantage of them.
This project that people will soon find out about is actually the first part of a trilogy that will end in 2021. How did you get the idea?
There are a lot of music releases coming out all the time, whether singles or albums. If you give your audience a 17 track project all at once, I believe there are a lot of songs that get lost in there. So I figured it was a great way to highlight each of the tracks. If someone offers you to listen to an album with 40 tracks you'll get tired before you even click on play. (laughs)
Was there an important message you wanted to convey through this first project?
I do like to convey messages through my songs but sometimes I do it unconsciously. For example, when I talk about my personal life it's more a way for me to "unload". That's what I did on some of the tracks on the EP, I put them together and it's a way for me to "unload" all these emotions I experience. I must also admit that I often go to the studio with concepts in mind. Whether it's in music or in life, when you give to someone, the person gives back even more. I have great appreciation for my producer and all the great things he is capable of doing. I don't want to come into the studio and just give him "a little bit of me". I want to give him everything in me and say "Here's a part of my life, what can you do with it?" and naturally he'll make wonders of it. But if I show up dragging my feet without really having an idea in mind, the result won't be the same. Obviously, it's not an exact science. Sometimes with just feeling and spontaneity, you can get great results.
You said that "Success and authenticity are very much intertwined. In my music, I have always performed like that. With an open heart". Can you tell me more about that?
Paradoxically, the more you dig deep inside yourself to talk about really intimate subjects, the more you'll reach out to a wider audience. I think we are all very different and yet very similar at the same time. I'm always amazed when I listen to a piece of music and think "Wow, that's crazy, I've been through the same thing". With my producer Nino Vella, this is often what happens because we have become friends and when we chat about our lives we realize that we are similar in some ways. In general, people who live the same thing understand each other faster and connect more easily.
Have you ever felt like you were holding yourself back in your artistic creativity?
I know that sometimes you can't give everything to others, and that you have to keep a certain decency. When it comes to my personal life, I'm someone who easily opens up to others, "I don't protect myself from others" if you know what I mean? What you do with my confessions is your own business, it's your own act. Often people around me tell me "Don't share too much with people, they can use it against you" but I don't really think like that, because these wrongs are their own business. Even though I'm a transparent person, when it comes to music, I put some limits and boundaries on myself when it's too intimate. Whether it's in music or in everyday life, if I feel something, I say it without asking myself too many questions.
The project includes a feat with Lefa on "Voie Lactée". Was it obvious to do a feat with one of the members of Sexion?
Actually for me it was quite the opposite. (laughs) In order to establish an artistic identity that really stands out from the rest of the group, I didn't necessarily want to do a feat with the members of Sexion. In fact, what happened on this track is that I wanted Lefa to be the one filmed for the video. I thought that this track was good for him because it talks about the artistic life and so on and his last album Fame was also in line with this idea when he spoke about fame. And eventually, he told me that he liked the song too much and that if I wanted him to be in the video, he might as well put his voice on it. And since I'm someone who doesn't ask for help, I didn't want to bother him with it as we had already done some tracks together on our previous projects. In the end, he asked me and since our artistic styles are pretty similar, I thought it could be a great idea.
Your speech is rather very impactful on the track "Vérité" and I see it as a caring advice... For you is it also the duty of an artist: to have this kind of human speech?
Totally! Kindness for me is really important. It's not necessarily "stylish" to say this but being a kind person has a lot of positive influences in your personal life and it's crucial for me. When you're good towards people you can only be proud, fulfilled and happy in your social life.
Do you feel a certain pressure to be Maska of the Sexion D'Assaut?
Well, it's true that coming from Sexion leaves you with a certain label, but it's also a kind of heritage. In France, people tend to put you in a box and leave you there. There will always be people who want to see me rap like I did back then but I don't look back anymore. Even though I'm happy with what I did back then, I'd rather focus on my solo career and the artist I've become. For me, the most important thing is personal growth. It gives you the opportunity to experience real personal success, not just professional success.
The return of the Sexion with this series of concerts is kind of a big deal...
It's true, I can't wait to go back on stage, it brings back a lot of memories... The last time we performed with Gims at the Stade de France, there were 80,000 people there and we really had a great time. Back then, when we were performing one concert after another, we somewhat lost the meaning of playing at the Zenith or elsewhere because it became a habit and this was totally different. Before going on stage I said to myself "This moment, you're going to live it for you and you're going to enjoy every second of it". Eventually, even if it was only a 16 bars verse, I think it was one of the most beautiful concerts of my life because I fully enjoyed this moment. So I can't wait to get back on stage! Anyway, if there was a project with Sexion, we would make sure to stick to the artistic orientation of each one and create a project in the spirit of the times.
Instagram: Maska09
