8 minute read
MOHA MMZ // Interview
Sweet, kind and sincere, these are some of the adjectives that could be used to describe Moha, one of the much loved members of the QLF Family. Although he has always been known alongside Lazer in their group MMZ, Moha has now taken off on his own and we must say that he's doing well.
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The 23 year old artist managed to create his own universe without changing the person he has always been and who has always charmed his fans. From his real name Mohamed, he never fails to pay tribute to the neighborhood where he grew up and where he took his first steps as a solo artist: one of the most famous neighborhoods of French Rap: Tarterêt in Corbeil-Essonne in the Parisian suburbs.
In this interview with A Rap & A Cup Of Tea, Moha reveals everything he wanted to share with Euphoria and all the passion he put into this first solo album. Euphoria is without a doubt a complete and polished work, worthy of Moha's talent. We can't wait to see what the future holds for him.
What made you want to go solo?
It was a new challenge. We already had 3 albums plus a re-release and this idea came naturally. I've been rapping for such a long time and I started solo so it's a bit like going back to my roots. Starting a solo project has always been a challenge but also a dream. Even if I did a lot of things with MMZ, I really wanted to share what was important to me personally in a project.
In "Mon Bébé" you say "I've always had a lot of inspiration", did the fact of having complete artistic freedom while being solo help you develop your creativity even more?
Yeah big time! When you're solo it's all about what you want, everything I wanted to do I did. Whether it's the choice of the album title, the cover, the tracks, the collaborations with beatmakers, the videos... it's all me. When you're two, it's two different choices, so not necessarily the same desires etc.. But there are also some drawbacks in that it's easier when there are two of you to deal with things, whether it's success or hardship. And most importantly, it's always better to enjoy it together. (laughs)
Have you already thought about what you wanted to do as a solo artist or did you just go by instinct?
To be honest, it all came naturally. I wasn't afraid though. I was confident in what I was going to do. I knew it was going to be good, and I knew it was going to be brilliant. When you're confident things seem easier.
How were you feeling before the release of your album?
Frankly, I wasn't stressed... Well, maybe I'm a liar, maybe I was a little stressed. (laughs) The truth is, I wasn't afraid of it coming out, I was like "This is it, it's out, I did my best, I can't have regrets". I really gave the best of myself on the tape, the merchandising, the choice of the sound engineer, the promo, the cover etc. I have no regrets and that's what I wanted.
Being listed on TimeSquare's Billboard, isn't that great as an artist?
Absolutely, especially since we're independent! There are only two of us in my label: me and my manager. We created this on our own, by ourselves, for ourselves. (laughs) It's symbolic really, it's a way to achieve a "big" thing because it's my first solo album and I wanted to do something special but also to thank the people who supported me. It doesn't matter how many are there, it was a gift to say "Look, it doesn't matter how many we are, we're up there too, not just the big guys can make it". Just like for "Paranoïack" music video, since it was my first solo video, I wanted to do something big.
Why did you choose to film "Paranoiack" music video in Arizona?
I wanted to create a western! The studio was either in the States or in Spain. And it was important for me to go to the United States. Actually, it was amazing, we worked with a big production company. The extras were real actors and stuff. You know, a bit of American delirium? (laughs) It was crazy!
I think you tried a lot of different melodic and flow genres on the album, for example on "Mode" or "Omertà" where the tracks are totally different. Was it a challenge to show that you could handle all kinds of flows?
Not really! In fact it came naturally. Your mood changes every day and I find it quite complicated to do the same thing again... Actually, I see a lot of artists doing the same thing and I always say to myself: "How do they do it?" (laughs) My mood today is not the same as it was yesterday. Sometimes I go through moments of nostalgia, sadness, joy... A lot of things happen in your life, and since I' m a guy who follows his instincts a lot... it led to this result. (laughs)
Also in the album there are only 2 featuring: DTF and Zed from 13 Block. Was this your intention to really emancipate yourself and show what you do as a solo artist?
With MMZ we didn't have any featurings or very few, so if I had done a lot of featurings I would have been cancelled by my fanbase. I like to do things step by step. It's easy to do featuring to get big artists on your project but you become a "featurings artist" and I don't want that. You no longer exist as an artist. In fact, I was offered feats on my album, and I told them "No, it's my first album, leave me alone" (laughs). The day we will do a featuring, I want to bring you as much as you bring to the project.
You and Zed have a lot in common...
Totally! Zed was always the melodious one in his group and so was I with MMZ, I did a lot of the choruses. I come from Tarterêts in 91 and he from Sevran in 93. [Two districts in Parisian suburbs] We are part of the two biggest districts in our respective departments, so we already understand each other on that point. It was a natural thing to do. I think that for a first collaboration outside of QLF members like DTF, he was the one that best suited me, I couldn't ask for anything better. If I do a feat with someone it's because there is a part of him that is QLF too. [ed. Refers to "que la famille". A movement launched by PNL, one of the leading groups of French Rap also originating from Tarterêts].
We can feel throughout the album the tribute to Tarterêts, how important is it to pay tribute to your neighborhood?
Very important. Tarterêts is 100% part of my history. The neighborhood holds a big place in my heart. It's where I spend my whole life, for me it's not even an option, it's natural, it's obvious, it's just the way it is.
Can you tell me more about the symbolism behind the name of your album?
Euphoria refers to the feeling I had when I was 17 and started making music and it was taking off: I was euphoric. Since that day, this euphoria has never stopped. Euphoria in fact is excitement, joy etc., but it's only temporary. That's why I didn't want my album to have a name that only means joy. That's not the truth. When it works you're euphoric and when it falls down you're nostalgic and sometimes sad but in the end it's all temporary. And that's exactly what I wanted to convey.
Would you say it's an extra pressure to be part of the QLF family?
Yes and no. Of course, as it's a very strong community, I don't want to disappoint them, but I originally make music to enjoy the process of making it. I don't look for people to approve or disapprove of what I'm doing. I make music for me first, because I like it.
What was the hardest thing to achieve in this album?
Putting everything together in a meaningful way. It's not that easy to find the actual direction to make it all fit together. The cover has to fit the title, the titles have to fit the sounds etc... That's how you create a universe. You can do feats with everybody, you will always be considered the little one if you do it wrong. I think that every aspect is important: the choice of the gimmicks, the titles, the cover of the album, the intro, the sequence of the tracks. Naturally it's a bit tough, but towards the end I said to myself: "That's it, I've done it". It was important to have a consistent universe for my very first solo album.
