6 minute read
CINCO // Interview
Who's hiding behind the name Cinco, this rapper from Choisy-Le-Roi in the Parisian suburbs of the 94, from the new generation of French-speaking rappers? A Rap & A Cup Of Tea met this ambitious, confident and forward-looking rapper.
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From his singularity in the French Rap scene by being a pioneer of Mumble Rap in France to his inspirations and his incredible musical affiliation with Josman, Cinco tells us everything. This diverse and versatile rapper talks openly about his new album entitled Sacrifices.
How would you describe your unique style in French Rap?
I'm the first French rapper to introduce Mumble Rap! I used to do raw rapping, I used to articulate and everything and in 2018, a certain vibe started to spread where American rappers were no longer articulating their words. I really liked that vibe so I tried to do the same thing in French. Some people liked it, others didn't... But overall it was a success.
At the beginning of your album, in your intro, you give a kind of "warning"...
To be honest, I always knew that this song would be the intro of the project. I always knew I was going to use it exactly like that because I heard rumors that some rappers were copying me... That's why in the intro I say "stop comparing me". But what I'm telling you here, it also happened in 2019, it's not something that happened today, you know. That's why I say that in the intro, otherwise there's nothing, it's all good. (laughs)
You named your album "Sacrifices", it bears a lot of meaning...
It's true. There were a lot of sacrifices to make, especially to get this project out. In everything you do, you're going to make sacrifices. To succeed, it's really these sacrifices that help you get to the next level. A lot of things happened to me, I actually decided to quit music... I know that in order for me to keep going, I had to make sacrifices. That's really the word that fits the project's philosophy.
Indeed, in "Level" you speak truth upon truth. Is it important for you to convey universal truths to people?
Of course it is. Rap used to be about "delivering a message". Now it's different, for sure, but I like to still convey messages. Whether they're happy or sad, I always bring something. It's important to do that.
Is there a song where you feel you have given an important message?
In this project, I really like "Level" because it's where I speak up the most. There are also songs like "Patchak" or "Rue D'ATL" that I like. Well, I don't convey a great message in this last one but I like this song because it makes me think about things in my life. We, rappers have a real power. We can speak and be heard, you know? And if we don't, it's kind of tough... A lot of people don't know that there's a lot of shit going on. To alert, to expose, that's kind of our job.
Was it important for you to show that you could handle all types of prods?
Yeah, I've always tried to do that on all my projects. I make music you know, I always try and experiment with new things. Also, I tried to keep it diverse so I wouldn't get pigeonholed but we did it anyway. I think people don't listen to me and say "he's got good lyrics", they see me more as a guy who makes bangers. And it's a shame, because if you sit back a bit you'll see that what I write is actually great.
Regarding the featurings, there are big names on the project. Didn't it put pressure on you to have artists like Tiakola, Franglish or Josman for example?
Actually, it's kind of a plus. It will push some people who wouldn't have laid eyes or ears on my music to do so. It's not a big pressure because the songs are good, I'm proud of them, the guys I worked with too. It makes me pleased that more famous and mainstream guys come to work with guys like me, it's a real pleasure.
Do you have any anecdotes about these encounters?
Honestly, of all the collaborations made on this album, everything went smoothly with everyone. But with Josman it was up a notch. I couldn't figure out what happened. (laughs) It took us a while to come up with the instrumental, maybe two hours or something like that, but once it was done... (laughs) We recorded the song really fast. Plus, it's a just like magic, as soon as he came out of the booth I'd go in and so on. We really gave it our all. Of all the guys I got close to, it was with him that it clicked the best.
Do you think it's because your worlds are the most similar?
I know we don't all have the same ability to find words easily. Some will write good lyrics in 2 hours, others in 5 minutes. Me and Josman, on that particular aspect, we are a bit the same. That's why it went so fast. Because as soon as I said the first sentence, it was on, we were already flying. (laughs)
If you had carte blanche to collaborate with an artist, who would it be with?
You won't believe me if I tell you. (laughs) I started Rap because of Lil Wayne, he's my favorite rapper. But I don't want to say Lil Wayne, that would be too easy. On my mother's life, I would choose Justin Timberlake! (laughs) I already know that out song would be incredible.
What can we wish you for the future?
I got asked this question yesterday, I said "I need to be wished an Urus, with a lot of people on tour, every day in concert, and a lot of money." (laughs) No need to have good health, just success and a lot of money! (laughs)
