Photography © Adèle Boterf
Photography © Adèle Boterf
"Sometimes you’re at your worst and think
you’ll never make it... but that’s not true.
Until you’re dead, you still can get up and change things."
"Sometimes you’re at your worst
and think you’ll never make it...
but that’s not true.
Until you’re dead, you still can
get up and change things."
It was in Nantes, during the Hip Opsession festival, that we met Moka Boka. This talented Belgian artist welcomed us with a smile, a warm hug and a friendly laugh. The one who’d spent a year in London, in the Levisham district, spent some time with A Rap & A Cup Of Tea.
He left his mark on the international scene thanks to his appearance on Colors and now has entrusted us with talking about his beginnings in music and his desire to take the time to ensure he releases high-quality projects. This 26-year-old man from Brussels has been very honest about the music industry, which he learns more about every day. Always lost between failure and the ideal, Moka Boka - by his real name Julien - told us about his life philosophy and the importance of mixing in his music.
Since he has been publicly validated by artists such as Krisy and Lomepal, he will seduce you with his suave voice and honesty. It sounds impossible not to fall under his spell as he seems destined for a stunning future.
Did you fall in love with Rap when you were young, or has your passion for it developed over time?
I’ve been listening to Hip-Hop for a long time, but when I started rapping, I was 16. Now I'm 26, so it’s been a while since I “fell in”. (laughs)
How did this happen?
I was born into an artistic family. My father's a musician, my mother's a dancer, and I have always loved music. We listened to a lot of music, whether at home or on the way to school. I always liked the inspiring, creative side of things. Seeing rappers on stage like 50 Cent or Kanye West - or any other rappers, female or male, for that matter - made me want to be one of them. I thought it was fascinating, and it made me want to do rap.
Your Rap style is often described as charismatic which is quite rare as a definition... How do you explain the charisma that you have integrated into your sound?
Thanks for the compliment, I’m thrilled! The charisma? I can’t really explain it. Maybe it comes from being myself or my voice? I’m often told that my voice appeals so it would be possible for it to come from there, perhaps? (laughs) What attracts me most in Hip-Hop is the flow and attitude. That’s why I love English-speaker artists so much; the emotions they convey to me are based on those two factors. I didn’t understand what they were saying as a kid, but I tried to replicate their actions through their flow and gestures.
You had the chance to do the 'Colors Show', a YouTube channel that promotes talent at an International level. Did you feel that it brought you a new audience?
Colors was incredible; it really boosted me as an artist and also helped my visibility. I was happy to see people outside French-speaking countries loved my music. I think that in music, there are no borders, and I was pleased to know that I had managed to get English speakers to join my music.
In the comments, we can see that there are many English-speaker people congratulating your performance, saying, “I don’t really understand what he says, but the flow is crazy!”. Is opening up to an International audience something you’d like to develop more?
I won’t hide that their reaction made me very happy, although I didn’t expect it at all. I’m curious to try new things now. You know, I didn’t properly realize the impact that Colors would have on my career... I decided to take my time with it, especially to understand the music industry better. I do Rap, but I’ve never really used to hanging out with people from this industry. I was solo you know, I did what I wanted to do without really calculating everything that was going on around me. I was doing Rap in my room. I didn’t tell anyone about it, but now things have changed, and I take the time to meet people to make connections.
Are there any features with international artists that you’d like to do?
I’d say Saba, J.Cole or Boogie; he’s excellent! I’d like to do something with them that could be cool to mix our musical universes.
I saw that you were sometimes described as 'Krisy's favourite' [e.d: a rapper, beatmaker and very talented Belgian producer who also used to work with Damso and PLK]...
It's true that he was the first one to help me in Brussels. I did my project with him, Pas De Pluie, Pas De Fleurs. So, I think I earned that nickname somehow. (laughs) He supported me, and I see him as a mentor because he's older than me and has more experience.
A year and a half ago, you joined his label called Le Jeune Club. It must have been a turning point in your career?
I had a lot of feedback from the Le Jeune Club fanbase; it was cool, actually. I'm glad to be part of Krisy’s crew because he certainly has many contacts and is - above all - an artist that I like. I have great respect for his career. We have much in common personally and in our way of working because I often record in my room, for example, just like him.
We also saw you in Lomepal's 'Planète Rap' on the French radio channel Skyrock, in this freestyle between France/Belgium artists. A real banger freestyle! Being part of this great line of talented Belgian rappers is an additional benefit or just extra pressure?
I wouldn’t say it’s a pressure. As I said, I’m only starting to come into the Rap game and trying to get in there. You know, in Brussels, 'everybody knows everybody'. I don’t think that all those Belgian rappers knew who I was before I started having people talking about me and my projects, so I didn’t see it as a pressure. I sometimes feel this 'mini-pressure' and try not to think about it. That’s why I prefer to take my time. For example, I had tracks ready to be released after my last project, but I decided not to rush things. I'm trying to find a good balance between strength and pressure.
"The first person who has to be satisfied
with what we’re doing is ourselves."
"The first person who has
to be satisfied with
what we’re doing is ourselves."
What’s impressive about your lyrics is that you found the perfect balance between pessimism and hope...
I have one pessimistic side, and the other one is optimistic. When I realize that I'm really in the dark, I try to get out of it because it isn't a good state of mind and I know I can change that. Sometimes, I can be pretty damaging, but I have a life philosophy that believes there's always hope. Sometimes you’re at your worst, you think you’ll never make it...but that’s not true. Until you’re dead, you still can get up and change things. That’s what I try to show in my music. But I'll never be an artist who only spreads optimistic messages because it doesn’t sound like me.
When you started writing your album, did you want to connect your words with your audience and say, "Don’t worry, we’re all in the same boat", or was it really personal?
Actually, I was surprised; I hadn’t expected this. When I did this project, I wanted to show the state of mind I was in then and I didn’t really question whether people would like it. Therefore, I did not expect to have such feedback.
What about now? Did it change the way you're writing?
Yes, no doubt about it. Before, I wasn’t used to writing on a theme, and now, I’m trying to give direction to my lyrics and focus more on a feeling or an emotion. My aim is to develop and test new things, so I don’t do what I’ve done, whether textually or in beatmaking. It's good to try new stuff.
In an interview you did with Paris Match, you discussed your ethnicity and the fact that you questioned yourself for a long time. You say, "Among the Whites, I’m Black. Among the Blacks, I’m White. But who am I then?" Is that a question that still haunts you?
No, it’s much better now. (laughs) It’s true that when I was younger, I wondered a lot about this. I find that the theme of mixed race follows me, whether in my music, my production choices...everything is mixed. I can’t really pick a side. I think it’s related to all the different cultural influences I’ve had since I was a kid. It reflects what I do and what I am.
In 'Heracles', you say, "The objective is to be as free as possible." Can you tell me more?
My goal is to have as few restrictions as possible. Being free is very broad as well. Total freedom? I don’t know if it’s really attainable. You constantly lose some of your freedom in the choices you make. For example, if you are on a label, you are less free than if you are independent.
Would you like to be independent?
Yes, that’s the objective. But right now, I still have so much to learn and understand. It’s the beginning for me, and I’m really into finding things out. I got into music without being prepared for everything it entails, and I am constantly discovering how it works. I live day-to-day, and being independent is not my priority right now. I still have much to learn from the people around me through their experience and advice.
I'm so intrigued by your nickname... Can you tell me more about what your name means?
Actually ‘Boka’ is my last name, and in Congo – the country where my father is from – in the Kikongo dialect, ‘Boka’ means “the one who says things”. And ‘Moka’ is also a nickname that was given to me before, and so, in a way, my name means “Moka: the one who says things”, and it fits me well.
Can you tell me more about your plans?
I'm preparing a new project of about ten songs that should be released before 2020, and then I'll try to release as many things as possible and be as prolific. The tracklist is ready, and the project is almost finished, so I’m glad about it.
The last album was so successful. Are you anxious that this one might not be as successful as the previous one?
I wouldn’t say I’m anxious, but I still have a little stress before I get a new album out. Especially now, since it’s been a while since I released anything new and I want to please my fans. I think more about what I do and how to satisfy them, but I can’t be too clueless about it anyway, or I fall into a trap. The first person who has to be satisfied with what we’re doing is ourselves.
Are there any goals you’d like to accomplish as an artist?
I would really like to be heard everywhere no matter the borders. I also want to continue to perform on the stage; to go and shoot, but above all, I want to improve myself in what I do and to become even better. The goal is to be a good artist and have a great career.
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