He is undoubtedly one of the main talents of the Nantes rap game. One of the few to be able to dream in the medium term of a career which takes off on a national scale. Originally from Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, Coelho, 26, will be on the Transfer stage this Friday evening for the first
Hip Opsession festival closing party. Interview with an artist you will probably hear from again.
Where does this nickname Coelho come from? From the famous Brazilian writer?
Yes in part, with his book [le best-seller L’Alchimiste], his vision a little philosophical, almost naive. These are messages that I like. But mostly I wanted to choose a last name because it ages well. This one is known, sure, but it doesn’t bother me. Before I had an American alias (Wess Smith) and it got me drunk, I wanted to reset the counters to zero.
How did you come to rap?
I’ve always listened to rap. I started to get started at 12 years old by imitating my big brother, who today does all the instrumentals of my songs. I really got back to it when I entered high school. I was fully into it but we did not have the current means to make ourselves known. The turning point was at age 21: we decided to go to a real studio in Paris, that ofEspiiem, a rapper who influenced us a lot. It was the first time that I had a real sound engineer! I ended up investing in equipment and now I record everything from my home in Nantes. It’s more efficient and spontaneous.
You are extremely productive. Forty tracks and four musical projects since Philadelphia in 2017!
It’s not bad (laughs). We try to get things out on a regular basis. I think this is the right strategy to keep coming back to people’s ears on a regular basis. There are so many offers that you shouldn’t be forgotten. When you’re a big name you can afford to generate an expectation, but not at my level. There I have a new five track EP due out soon. And I have a lot of other things until April.
What are the themes that inspire you?
All those that a young adult can have: social relations, love, work, my life choices… It is especially according to what I feel at the time, emotions. It’s very therapeutic in the end. Except when I do egotrip, here we just have to say that we are the best with the right formula, that’s another exercise. Overall I try to write every day.
Your clips, particularly neat, often highlight Nantes settings …
I work with the Slasher collective. We know our city by heart so we easily find the maps we need. It allows to show something other than Paris. But I’m not particularly trying to promote Nantes, it’s aesthetics that take precedence. We try to find original concepts every time. A qualitative clip is important, it’s part of rap culture. It gives an atmosphere, it attracts people. It allows you to see my face too.
What is your ambition in the medium term?
To get fat! Fill bigger rooms, be followed by a bigger community. That I can live on it too, quite simply. I get a little money but not enough to live on 100% rap. So I do small jobs here and there, in catering, courier, cashier, interim… In fact, I have done too many jobs. At the moment I am unemployed because I need time for music.
“When you’re not from Paris or Marseille, it’s complicated to break through at the moment”
In the title Yeyo you tackle the hassle of being a delivery man for the UberEats and Deliveroo platforms and small jobs in general …
I know some delivery guys have started following me. They were happy to see a clip in which they could project themselves. These are jobs that are not made for anyone. We stay there because we have no choice. What makes me sad is when I see people who are much older and who are going to stay there for years and years. I know it is a luxury to do what I do. I don’t really have any responsibility apart from myself, I allow myself time to dream.
It is sometimes said that you are the rising figure of Nantes rap. Are you comfortable with this?
I understand why. Because I’m the only one to have signed with a big label [Mezoued records, label de Tunisiano], I take out a lot of things. Maybe there’s a little more excitement on me, it’s nice, but I’m not taking it seriously because I haven’t blown it all up yet. I know a lot of talented Nantes rappers that I support too. At any time a guy can put out a sound and do more views.
Nantes is famous for its electro or rock breeding ground, but not at all for rap …
There have never been any heads that stand out, except maybe Hocus Pocus at a time but it was more of a music group. We are mainly governed here by electronic music. There are techno parties on every corner, rock parties in a few places. There is not yet a real rap identity in Nantes, although I think there is a community for it. Afterwards, it must be said that at the moment, when you’re not from Paris or Marseille, it’s complicated to break through.
What are your influences ?
I listen to Drake, Kendrick Lamar a lot. In France, Booba, Rohff, La Fouine, Alpha Wann. But I try not to inspire myself too much. I will no longer go to the Americans who, for me, are often one step ahead of the best. Apart from rap, I listen to RnB, full of American singers, Yseult in France. I’m not too much of a variety but there is a song by Louane,
written by Dinos, which I like for example
Are there aspects of French rap that you don’t like?
Copy and paste, it gave me stuff. When there is a hype everyone jumps on it. We pump the movement until its last breath. There are codes to respect that are repeated from one rapper to another. This gives rise to periods when there is no diversity at all. Fortunately, there are some who manage to keep their originality.
Rappers are at the top of the streams but are not very present on the radio or in the media. How do you explain it?
The stream has never worked so well, we made incredible scores. We know that in real life rap is the most popular music in France. Afterwards, to make it clear to people in the offices… It’s a clash of cultures and generations. Those who run the shows didn’t grow up with it. For them, rap is linked to violence, to neighborhoods, it does not speak to them. They start to open only because the demand becomes too great. Suddenly the big radios will only pass rappers who will appeal to the middle class like Orelsan, Lomepal, rap which is not scary. It is political correctness. Same in festival. When you know that your song is exploding, top charts, and that it does not appear on any French radio, it’s hard. It develops a frustration for the money that it can generate and even for the recognition.