Photography © Fifou
Photography © Fifou
"I have a problem with friendships. I can't make new friends,
I've always been with the same people since I was young."
"I have a problem with friendships.
I can't make new friends,
I've always been with the same people
since I was young."
It was at the Parisian Chorus festival that we met Dinos, a French rapper who is admired and adulated in France, a few hours before going on stage to perform his greatest hits such as 'Les Pleurs Du Mal', and his legendary single 'Helsinki', perceived by critics as one of the most excellent songs of our generation. Dinos agreed to share with us his wisdom and serenity.
However, he remained mysterious about his upcoming album Taciturne, which should see the light of day in 2019. Dinos was expressive when it came to talking about music and inspiration. The one who seduced the lovers of the French-speaking Rap with his song 'Namek' responded with a lot of sincerity on what makes him who he is and what he thinks of our generation.
Can you describe your music to an English-speaking public on the sidelines to know you?
What I do is pretty lyrical, it's a rap that takes different forms - whether conscious or not. I would say that it is a mix of the old and the new generation. One of your first EPs, released in 2013, was called L'Alchimiste and referred to the book by Paulo Coelho. You also released a song called 'Spleen' - once again, we think of Baudelaire.
There are a lot of references to literature throughout your career: Montesquieu, Cyrano, etc. Literature seems to be an essential part of your Rap...
I indeed like literature a lot - at one time, I read a lot. In my lyrics, I am inspired by what I see and what I live. If, for example, my new hobby is going to the theatre, I'll talk about Tartuffe, Sganarelle and all those things. It's the same if I watch a series or something else. Right now, I'm watching Oz, and I want to talk about his characters. It's definitely my environment that inspires me.
And your inspiration, in its entirety, where does it come from?
From everything. Every person has a special relationship with what's happening in their life. I can write a song about this interview, my day, or something else. Right now, it's my life that inspires me. In truth, I am more inspired by personalities such as Tesla, who imposes respect, than by writers. In my eyes, speaking of those who have brought something to humanity is more important.
At what age did you start writing your first lyrics?
I was 12 years old when I started Rap. I lied in my lyrics - I said that I sold drugs and all... you know what I mean (laughs).
You did a lot of featuring with rappers such as Youssoupha, Disiz, Sadek, Nekfeu, etc. Is it not difficult to meet your respective worlds?
What makes the strength of a featuring is to meet his pen with that of another person. Sometimes it is even the encounter between two opposing worlds that makes the beauty of the thing, such as the feat between Medine and Booba on 'Kyll', or Public Enemy and AC /DC, or even the collaboration between Jay-Z and Linkin Park. Mixing cultures this way is something good I think.
Is there a collaboration you have preferred and for which you keep a particular memory?
There are several, but I especially remember the one with Youssoupha and Nekfeu. For the feat with Youssoupha, we went to the studio at 11 pm and we went out at 8 am. With Nekfeu, we met before our respective careers grew. We recorded this in a small room, and it was our "home studio" of the time - even if it was a little precarious. I keep a remarkable memory of these two collaborations because it was raw, we did this together and it wasn't like"send me your verse and I'll send you mine".
Speaking of featuring, you invited PLK, Maes and Dosseh to join you during your concert at La Cigale in Paris. I imagine that they're rappers with whom you have a particular bond. Can we hope to see a featuring with one of them for your new album Taciturne?
Yeah, why not? That would be cool, indeed. It's a business to follow!
"In my eyes, it is more important to speak of those
who have brought something to humanity."
"In my eyes, it is more important
to speak of those who have brought something to humanity."
Many of your songs often talk about money and love as being related. For example, in your song 'Rue Sans Nom' where you say "Mom was telling us that true wealth is having something that money cannot buy" and in 'Placebo' you add "I want gold for my mother, I want love for myself "... Does it sounds impossible to assimilated love and money?
Actually, I think that's the opposite. Suppose you have a long relationship with someone and start with financial issues or anything else at the beginning of your relationship. Then you earn money together over time, you'll realise that everything is much better. It helps to realize how much you grew up together. For me, the two go hand in hand.
Artistic flourishing seems to be something significant to you ...
Yes completely. I vastly prefer quality over quantity. I indeed took 3 years before returning with Imany, but if you make good music, people don’t forget you. In any case, success is not eternal. I'm sure some artists have rocked you as a teenager and now you do not pay attention to them. It's life. There are people with whom you share a lot of things. For example, being younger, they were your partner in crime, and now, if you meet them in the street, you barely say hello to them. The human brain is like that - it's a fixation on something or someone for a while and then fades. People forget you, but that does not mean they hate you.
Nothing is ever acquired in your eyes?
Not at all. You can be worshipped today and forgotten tomorrow or in 10 years. As I said, it's life. You can't control these kinds of stuff...it's out of your hands.
And you think that Rap has changed your dating?
Whatever your socio-professional setting, it will always change your relationship with others. In truth, I have a problem with friendships. I can not make new friends; I have been with the same people since I was young. I meet many new people, but that doesn't mean I become friends with them. I assume that if you want to be friends with me, we have to be able to trust each other. We must have gone through situations where we realised we could count on one another. For me, friendship is something that is built over time, unlike love, where you can fall in love with someone after only two or three dates.
Can you talk to me about the song 'Parle-Moi' that you composed for the soundtrack of the film Black Snake? What inspired you?
In truth, I stood in front of the microphone and said what I had in my heart without thinking. I didn't even pre-write this song, everything was written through freestyle. (laughs) That's what also happened with Taciturne, my next album. At the moment, I'm working on it, and I do almost everything in freestyle without even writing. I can't sit at home and write. Some people have particular ways of writing, but not in my case. Right now, I do everything by instinct.
When asked if Rap is a fad in your interview for the Inrokuptibles, you answer that "Rap is a hybrid being that cannot die". Can you imagine how French Rap will look in 10 years?
It's a hard question. Imagine it in just 6 months! I think we are part of a generation that has to move forward with its time. Some people, whether rappers or not, say "The Rap was better before", but it's precisely these rappers from older generations who have helped Rap evolve as we know it now. So, if you want Rap to be different from before, it's up to you to change things. I agree that we are "losing" the Hip-Hop culture and feel sorry for it. But this is a generational problem; we increasingly lose the notion of culture to replace it with the culture of "showing off".
Is there a feat you'd like to do with an English artist?
I already made a song with Kojey Radical, but I have not released it yet - I keep it in reserve for now. I love English music too much! I really like Jacob Banks, J.Hus, Skepta and Dave too. Giggs is an artist that I love to death, too. In terms of female artists, I will say Mabel and Mahalia and, of course, Jorja Smith.
Copyright protected © 2025, A Rap & A Cup Of Tea.
All Rights Reserved.