Photography © Romain Rigal
Photography © Romain Rigal
"If people think that my Rap looks like poetry,
I take it as a compliment."
"If people think that my Rap
looks like poetry,
I take it as a compliment."
With A Rap & A Cup Of Tea, we met Georgio, this highly acclaimed rapper in France who came to London - Hackney, for the first tour date. Often described as the leader of 'Poetic Rap', Georgio opened up for us before going on stage.
The Frenchies living in London were so excited to see Georgio on stage for the launch of the XX5 Tour. In the warm and cosy lodges of Olso Venue, the 25-year-old rapper from Paris took the time to answer our questions. With a chill attitude and a lot of kindness, the one nominated at the 2019 Music Victory Awards talked freely about his beginnings and the evolution of his musical journey. With his angelic face and his writing talent, how can you not fall in love with his pen?
Can you describe your Rap to an English-speaking audience?
It's complicated... (laughs) I'd say that it's a Rap focused on writing because I pay attention to all my lyrics by aiming above all to be pure and honest. It's also as melodious as melancholy. It forms a completely different mixture of energies.
The image often"glued to you" in France is that you are considered "a Poet Rapper of the 21st century". Is this an image that you want to put forward?
Not especially. I'm not trying to claim it or deny it. It's hard to see yourself as a poet, but being named as such is super rewarding. If people think my Rap looks like poetry, it's great, and I take it as a compliment.
You started to rap at 14 years old. In your new album, you take a lot of hindsight as if you were taking a step back to what happened since your debut. What has happened to you in 10 years is pretty huge! You became a muse for Givenchy, you filled a Zenith... Did you think that you would make it?
No, I didn't have that vision there. It seemed so unreachable at first... But paradoxically, I always knew I would make it because success was my only option. It was Rap or nothing.
I heard that you often spoke of this special bond that binds you to London... You even made a sound in your last album Héra called 'Paris-London'. Can you tell me more?
London is a city that has always attracted me for its energy. I often went back and forth between Paris and London, and last year, I spent two and a half months here. I have lots of memories related to this city. I also met a London artist named Murkage Dave, who's featured on 'O.D' with Nekfeu [e.d: One of the leaders of French Rap since the release of his album Feu in 2015]. I met another artist named Petite Noir. He lives between London and South Africa. We made a song together for XX5. I didn't keep it for the final selection, I wonder why now. (laughs)
Are you considering adding it to the album's reissue if there's one?
Honestly, I don't know yet what the future holds for me and if I'll release a reissue of XX5. For now, I keep on writing and making new songs. Should I keep them for a new project? A reissue? Do I throw them away? It’s a big question. (laughs)
Your inspiration seems to be constant, and you refer to it in some of your texts... Are you someone who writes all the time?
Sometimes, I lack inspiration, but I always try to keep writing. It's important not to lose the rhythm: it's a kind of cerebral gymnastics. The more you write, the less you lose the form. If I stop writing for a while, returning to it is hard.
In which state of mind did you write XX5 your new album?
For a long time after Hera, I wondered what I wanted to write about and thought I should just do what I wanted to do. That’s why we find lots of different energies on this album, such as with 'Mirroir' or 'Dans Mon Éléments', which are more melancholic songs than 'Barbara' or 'J'en Sais Rien', which are much more energetic. I also speak of love in '31 Janvier'.
"I try to keep on writing.
It's important not to lose the rhythm:
it's a kind of cerebral gymnastics."
How do you find the perfect balance between all these different energies?
Do you want the truth? I refused to ask myself that question. (laughs) I followed my desires and made the songs as I wanted to, without asking myself too many questions.
You also made huge references to your mates – loyalty is something that seems to be important to you. It's quite the opposite of the image we have about Rap, which appears to be an environment with a lot of competition...
What matters the most, indeed, is to be surrounded by people who want to propagate messages of love. I'm not really interested in hanging out with hateful and bitter people.
In a recent interview, you said that when you were younger, you went through a significant period of melancholy that was a vicious circle and that you were even afraid of no longer knowing what to write about... But I think this new album is filled with hope, with songs like 'Coup Pour Coup' for example. Do you find that your way of writing has changed?
Yes, I felt it in my music. In the beginning, with the album Hera, and now with XX5, which is entirely different. Instinctively, my way of writing has changed for sure, but on the other hand, I get the impression that the melancholic theme remains unchanged. The stories are different, same as the songs, but a lexical field remains particular to my person.
Last September, you gave seven free gigs that you named the 'Shadow Tour'. How did you come up with the idea?
I have always existed on the Internet and its sharing system. I always had this recognition for my audience, who has supported me from the beginning, and I always try to thank them in one way or another. For Hera, I created a special group on Facebook and sent stickers to those who wanted it. I always try to maintain the link with them and say, "Thank you for everything you did for me". It's also a way for me to say, "Okay, my career is rising, but I can't forget where I come from". It's important to me.
You share a lot with your audience, but on the other side, you remain quite mysterious. Is it important for you to give yourself to your audience while staying in the shadows?
Yes, that's it. I remain aware of what I share, especially what I want to show. But there's an intimate part of me that I want to keep for myself. I sincerely believe that I wouldn't have social networks if I didn't have Rap. Or I would just be a stalker to follow up with artists I like. (laughs)
Would you like to be able to skip social networks without having to do a daily promo for your music?
Yes, absolutely. What I like most is music - purely music. I don't care about being popular - I wish I could exist only through my music. If tomorrow, I could skip all the social network duties because the people who follow me are interested only in my music, even without a video clip that 'illustrates' the song, it would be paradise.
There is a phrase which prompts reflection in the song 'Hier' where you say, "Nothing is ever too healthy when you're afraid to choke. If you knew where I came from, you would understand where I'm going" Can you tell me more?
I grew up in an affluent middle-class family, and overnight with my parents’ divorce, I found myself leaving the house where I had grown up to live in a home where three of us lived in a tiny room. That's what I'm saying in this track: I was very quickly confronted with adulthood problems. It's a motivation always to go further.
In your song 'Aujourd'hui' you say"I have not finished writing my Dreams"...
In music, I have a desire to climb even higher and more substantial. I want to count more people in my audience. I have lots of other dreams, like going around the world. Every morning, I have new goals and new desires that I put in the corner of my head while waiting to realise them.
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