Photography © Keep Focus
Photography © Keep Focus
"After my time on Skyrock, I realised
I might belong to the Rap game."
"After my time on Skyrock,
I realised I might belong
to the Rap game."
With a pen ready to give the best of itself, a growing ambition, and a passion for music more than palpable, you're seeing one that won't fail to create a stir about her in the months and years to come in the French Rap game.
Amalia has everything to become an actual female figure in Rap, and it's good to see that the spotlight is finally on the growing talent of this young 20-year-old Marseillaise. After being noticed on Skyrock and her hard-hitting freestyles on the networks, Amalia talked to A Rap & A Cup Of Tea about what pushed her to get into music, especially about her views on the place of women in this still too-masculine industry. Between kindness and simplicity, the sincerity of Amalia won't fail to touch you.
Tell us about yourself! We want to know your beginnings in the music industry!
It happened when I was 18. I had a friend who couldn't get past a heartbreak, and I decided to put her pain to music. Ultimately, this first lyric was the very first of my "career" and my first video "24h". When I saw my friend's enthusiasm for what I had written, I said to myself, "Come on, I'm going; I have nothing to lose anyway." In the end, I realized that maybe there was something to do in music because I really liked it. I saw that people also liked what I was doing, too. I decided to post my first freestyles on Instagram, and that's when it took on much larger proportions than I imagined...
Did you expect this success?
Not at all, honestly. It would be a lie to say that I didn't want it because when you get into music, you always want to make it work. In truth, I didn't expect such a crazed response from the public. I still need to understand what's going on... On the one hand, it's better, so I don't feel pressured to succeed and am not obsessed with it. I post my freestyles without worrying about the followers to win or the likes to reap. I'm doing this because I want to, and I'm happy to see that it gives me access to opportunities I never thought I'd have. After my time on Skyrock, I realized I might belong to the Rap game.
Speaking of Skyrock, I saw your appearance on Meryl's Planète Rap last February. Can you tell me more about this first appearance?
In fact, I had freestyled for an Instagram contest that the Planète Rap account liked, and I was shocked! I sent a message saying, "Thank you for the like; if you ever need someone to come and rap live, just let me know." A few days later, they asked me if I wanted to do the freestyle listener [e.d, the radio calls a participant to do a freestyle on the phone during a live radio show], so I immediately said yes without hesitating. And from there, it all happened; I rapped by phone on Tuesday, and Meryl's team validated me and asked me to join her live for the show on Friday. So, I went to Paris alone and enjoyed it without asking myself any questions. It was indeed a lot of stress, but it was, above all, an incredible adventure.
Could this experience have been a professional stepping stone for you?
Yes, absolutely. I was able to meet lots of people from the music industry. Whether it was people working on labels or whatever, it was gratifying. I made a lot of contacts, and that's a real chance for me. As we say, "We must leave time to time," so we'll see what the future holds for me.
Being a young artist requires an investment of time and money. Whether it's for the melodies, the studios, the teams, the clips... How do you apprehend that?
For now, I'm fortunate because some time ago, I met an artist who has worked with artists like Demi-Portion and IAM, who's simultaneously a beatmaker, producer, etc. He became my mentor in music, and he's the one who does all this for me. It's an immense opportunity to access his knowledge and experience without spending money. Without ruining myself, I did it with someone I knew for my first music video. We all have to start somewhere with our goals. I may retake my first music video in a few years - who knows? (laughs)
You also made your debut on the Instagram page of 1minute2Rap. Is it a good springboard for young people like you to get to know each other?
Absolutely! When I did my first freestyles on their page last November, the account had 500K followers, which was already big. Now, they have more than 900k, generating attention and interest. Being put forward on this kind of account is a massive boost for your visibility; there's no doubt about it. Thanks to them, I have the contacts today... It's a real springboard for young artists like me.
None of your freestyles left room for indifference and sometimes provoked misogynistic reactions. One can see in the comments like "again the feminist rapper"... How do you find that?
To tell you the truth, that's what made me want to do these freestyles. When I saw women rapping, there were always hateful and misogynistic comments, all because she was a woman, and I wanted things to change. So, I tried to "provoke" people in an intelligent way. Who said that a woman doesn't know how to rap. At this time, I decided to do this freestyle on the day for women's rights, which has grown in popularity on the networks. I, for one, write about my place in society and my place as a woman in today's world. I do not fight to claim; I'm just talking about my fears or concerns. The real problem is that in France, you must always be locked in boxes and put labels on...
Do you think it takes more of a woman's mind to get into Rap and take on all this sexist criticism?
It's an interesting question. I don't know if we need more mental toughness, but we need more anticipation. We have to tell the truth; there are a lot of female rappers in France, but the problem is that we don't talk about all these women in Rap. To have visibility, it's always necessary to push with some force, etc. When a man rushes headlong on Project X, a woman must be more strategic, avoid a possible refusal, and anticipate future obstacles to achieve the same result. It makes sense that fewer women are exposed in the media, but on the other hand, there's less "competition" to stand out. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, balancing those two essential factors for a woman in Rap.
Do you think women's place in Rap will evolve in the coming years?
Yes completely. If we go back, I believe that artists like Shay, Meryl, Diam's, and Keny Arkana have proved that women have a place in the Rap game. If we look at French Rap at the moment, we see that more and more boys want to get into Rap, and competition is a massive factor in succeeding in making a place at the top. This is a severe problem because it's a funnel. Everyone wants to get started, but nobody really manages to stand out because many of them do the same thing, rap on the same type of prod, use the same punchline, etc... One day, it will be necessary to leave the place to the girls, who will succeed more quickly in distinguishing themselves from others.
What are your future plans?
It's clear that I want to go on stage and meet my audience. My ultimate dream would be to run a festival. I want to create a solid fanbase that would work like some kind of team, if you know what I mean. What matters to me right now is meeting with those who support me and sharing my music.
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