A day of marathon promotion. Used to giving only very rare interviews, Jul received several media last week, including 20 minutes, in the studio where he recorded the project 13 Organized with his Marseille friends. At home, what. The opportunity to discuss with him his crazy creative energy, his success, Marseille, the Euro football, the oral of the bac and women. Just that. With all the kindness and simplicity that characterize it.
This is your 4th project in less than a year, where do you find all this strength and this desire to always create more?
It is in order to please my team, and to please me. The inspiration, the strength, how do I find it? I listen to a lot of sounds, a bit of everything, all the colors of sounds, American rap, reggaeton, house, French rap, German rap, I listen to everything, the truth. All of this is good for the brain, and it gives you palettes, inspiration. I analyze the sound, I analyze the beat.
Does it make you feel good to be in the studio? In a sound you say “the stud is the pharmacy” …
Oh yeah, it’s my life. Even when I want to try to sit still at home, when I say to myself “go ahead, I’m going to have a quiet week, to get some fresh air and recharge my batteries”, I can’t do it. . Each time I call the sound engineer back, I tell him “where are you at the stud?” “, He said to me” yeah “, and well go ahead, I’m coming! Even when he’s not there, I come and ask myself. At least I’m here, I meet people, I talk about music.
Yet you say that you do not have time to pass the boat license, motorcycle …
I can’t do it, like I said. As I saw that I could not, sometimes, on a whim, I do not plan anything the next day. I say to myself “tomorrow we are going to the sea, to the boat”, on a whim, I have to do that, because I still have to take advantage one day. My first outing was the day before yesterday to take a bit of color, otherwise I was transparent for the interviews! It was my first outing, the first time I touched the water. I live again.
What are you going to do this summer? Enjoy more than usual?
Yeah… In fact this summer I have a big project in my head. Again. So I will not have too much time, but the little I have, I will take direct advantage. I have to get out of there a bit. But I would feel bad not to be in Marseille for the summer. I would feel like I’m missing something. Everyone is going to mess around, everyone is going to be at the beach. I haven’t released an album, isn’t there a sound going around there? Even winter is the same.
When do you find your audience?
I hope to do little things. I’m thinking of making a little dedication. I’m not sure how we’re going to do it, but I’m thinking about it. To meet my team a bit.
And your concert at the Vélodrome, twice postponed, you must be languishing, right?
Yeah, the truth I’m longing for, but with a force. I remember the first time I went to the Vélodrome, it was for Sopra who invited me. When I got on the stage… I want to see that again. The waves of flashes, it’s nice. My show lasts two and a few hours, I don’t know if I’m going to last two hours, I’m going to give it my all. It’s like I’m playing in the Champions League final, I’m going to tear up the lawn.
You had a lot of criticism when you started, are you aware of being a lot more validated, in rap, and also outside?
Not too much, not too much, not too much. The criticisms I have passed away, I no longer listen to them. I don’t see anything, actually. I have blinders, like the horse. He goes straight ahead: to the right, to the left, I can’t see anything. I only see my projects that I have to do.
The phone rings, he pulls out three phones: “Yeah, there are the projects …”.
Not reach out to me, destabilize me a bit, believe things people say when they don’t. I listen to myself, my relatives, my musical entourage. And after the rest, I do what I love. What I live, what I do, what I love. I do with my own types of music, my stuff. After feeling more validated or what, that, I do not particularly feel it.
Did the Organized 13 project make a difference?
I know the project is a good thing, I was aware before doing 13 Organized that it was going to do good in Marseille… but not so much! Now I am very happy with everything that is happening in Marseille. It makes me happy because when I was a dog, no one “held out their hand”. Since I didn’t have that, I wanted to give it away. I was on my 21st album, I said to myself “I’m going to do something, I’m going to have fun”. I want to rap with everyone from Marseille, and I did. It was a time when I wanted to share and give strength. Nobody’s done it, nobody’s doing it, so I’m doing it.
The human side was as important as the musical aspect …
It’s true that we all get along well. We see each other a little more, it gives strength, they are all good people. We are not here looking at the money, there is no such thing as that. There is no place to look at the money in leases like this: if you look at the money, we don’t even do the project. Everyone is in that spirit. For Marseille.
What is your view on the success of Marseille rap?
I am proud to have had the idea. After what happens to them, it comes from them, it is their job as I said. What happens to the S [SCH], to all who are in 13 Organized, they are also the ones who sought it. The S has been a hit in Organized Band because‘he made a legendary verse. After his album, it’s the next logical step. Soso too, his passage is legendary, like Zumba Cafew. You see the results afterwards because they coal too. There is work before and after. They have a talent. It’s nice, it highlights Marseille, Marseille is no longer there in French rap so frankly I’m proud of that, the truth.
One of your hallmarks are songs about girls, you have a romantic side …
Yeah, I like it, I think about the girls. In addition, they, they support, they do not let go. The truth, the girls, they are faithful. Chikita this is my song that has the most card and it’s a sound for girls. It means that they are there, they are present, and you have to think about them. So we try to give it to them. There is Tereza in this album, Assassination. And lots of little big ups for them, in the sounds.
And in your entourage, are there girls?
No, we’re just guys. But you have to think about the girls, they are there. Even in concerts, you hear them when they are there …
Gari Greu, from Massilia Sound System, told me that you were the only rapper to have created his own style… Are you aware of it, are you proud of it?
Yeah frankly I’m starting to realize it a bit. For example, yesterday there is a guy who came to see me on Insta and said: “I’m from Denmark, I’m listening to your sound and I’m taking care of a youngster. He just looks like Jul ”. Me in my head I say to myself: “wait, the guy is in Denmark and he wants to make a sound with me, he is in a delirium to do only things in my style? No, it’s a crazy thing ”. It kills, I don’t know how I did it but in truth, I just wanted to joke and tell my life, that it is a little sad, even on dancing music. This is my recipe, and it is still my recipe.
Simplicity and authenticity, in addition to being embellished?
Yeah, the real in the gush. Detail the real, my life, life, detail the lives of others and be jealous of me. When listening, the person has to feel touched and say to themselves: “and yeah, it’s the truth what he’s saying”, and they have a mood. That’s what I want, that’s the goal of my albums. Really, to make the person feel the same.
There is the Euro, are you 100% OM, or do you support the France team too?
I support the France team. It’s 100% OM, and 100% Equipe de France.
Would you like to compose the next anthem for the Blues?
Yeah, if OM or France come to do something, an anthem, I try direct, and I kill myself to do a beautiful thing. After you have to see what it would give, but I would be happy to do something that works, a good hymn.
The oral exams have started, what advice would you give to be comfortable speaking?
To pass your baccalaureate in peace, to concentrate already, to put yourself in your bubble, like me, when I put myself in my project. I concentrate fully. When I know I’m gonna make a Planet Rap for example, I review everything. I know what time is the trick. If you are square and you really want to have your exam, you concentrate fully, you do everything thoroughly and I think you will have it afterwards. To come at ease orally, a little Jul album before arriving, that can be good (laughs).
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