Photography © FASMER
Photography © FASMER
"I make songs that you can
dance to or sit and reflect on."
"I make songs that you can
dance to or sit and reflect on."
Don't look any further for the one who stands out as much in Urban Pop as in Rap. He's here with us, and his name is Still Fresh. With a stunning career and big hits such as "Elle M'A Dit", "Mon Ami", and "Je Te Vois", Still Fresh managed to dominate the French musical scene thanks to his undeniable talent.
In "versatile" songs, Still Fresh is the king of groovy, danceable, and mindful hits. With thousands of hours of creation to his name after almost 15 years of rapping, the Parisian artist never ceases to delight his audience.
Humble, composed and thoughtful, he is here today with A Rap & A Cup Of Tea to talk about his musical inspirations, his interest in the EP format and above all, his never-ending desire to create. He never ceases to reinvent himself and his themes without being redundant, and this is his most outstanding artistic quality.
How would you describe your music to an English-speaking audience interested in getting to know you?
I'd say that it's music made for dancing and thinking. It depends on your mood. I talk a lot about human relationships and love, and love in all its forms — not just about passion and "I love you" sort of things, but everything that love entails, both positive and negative. I do my best to be as truthful as possible.
Of all the storytelling in your songs, is there one that stands out in your eyes?
Yes, some hit differently than others. Maybe because I've gone deep into what the human mind can fathom subconsciously. For example, in a song called "Jamais", I write about myself talking to my ex's new boyfriend. I'm taunting him by telling him he'll never replace me. She'll always have me in her head with a bunch of arrogant, rageful lines. The truth is that many people have gone through a similar situation at some point. You try to convince yourself that the girl will never forget you, you know? Sometimes it's true, but sometimes it's not. So, it allows you to voice out overwhelming, specific emotions that hurt you and that you need to get out of your head.
In your feat with S.Pri Noir, "Demande-Moi", you also convey a subliminal message...
Totally! It's my first hit song. In this song, I talk to my lady and let her know that we do get in over our heads and hurt ourselves. But if you need anything, ask me. We've all had this conversation before. It goes back to what I said: I make songs you can dance to or sit and reflect on.
What is more challenging for you: a love song in which you pour your heart out or a breakup song?
Um... I don't think of making a song "only about breakups" when writing. The fact that I talk about love in all its forms implies that I'll write about all its aspects. There is the "I'm in love" side, but there are also all the other feelings we can go through, such as doubt, regret, fear, mistrust, anger, etc. For example, in my last EP, Amour Noir (Saison 4), I made a song called "T'as Géchan", and I tell the story of a girl I knew who changed when she started seeing someone new. We've all been through this situation as the culprit or the victim. It's not about a breakup, nor is it a heart-to-heart thing. That's what I like to do.
How do you always find this inspiration for all your projects?
Well, I find it through watching, listening, and talking. I watch a lot of movies and documentaries; I read a lot of books... The stories that people tell me, the anecdotes, etc. Anything can be an inspiration for a topic. The things I experience will affect me, naturally making me want to talk about this or that topic. You could say that I'm like a sponge; everything surrounding me will inspire me. For example, a word might stick out to me as we're talking, and I can create a whole song about it.
You seem really fond of the EP format...
Yeah, you're not wrong. Actually, you're right. (laughs) In this generation we live in, the way we consume music has become more and more industrialised. Projects are released every Friday, and in a year, there are hundreds of releases, one after the other. So basically, you can spend 3 years working on an album and make the best album of the year with the best feats; it doesn't change the fact that people might consume it as if it was a mixtape created in a month. That's why I would rather be around EPs like this all year. I released a small project with 5 songs, 2-3 months later, I released more songs; a few more months later, I did the same thing, and at the end of the year, it's like I released an album with 20 songs. I guess it's like a magazine or something like that where you get your fill occasionally.
Does each EP have its own symbolism and personal story, or do you see it more as a big story that you chopped up in several parts as you like?
I would say that each EP has its own story, with each one of them having a particular mood. For example, I realised this one feels much more dramatic than the others. Even the cover is different from the others. The inspiration came from an Instagram post by Rihanna. (laughs) That means the season 4 cover couldn't be on the one for this season since the post is only 3 months old, I think. So you know, we're in the moment. Everything is inspired by the moment, whether music, covers, art direction or themes.
"A joint project with S.Pri Noir?
We have busy schedules to manage, but...
You never know! Everything's possible."
"A joint project with S.Pri Noir?
We have busy schedules to
manage, but... You never know! Everything's possible."
Would you say that you're a spontaneous person?
Yes, I'm very intuitive since I don't write my lyrics beforehand. When I'm in the studio, I have ideas, I have a melody, I'll find words to put on it, and then I'll rehearse them for a while before going straight to the recording booth. I'd rather make a lot of tracks and select some of them than spend a month on a track that will never be released because I won't like it, you know? Of course, it can happen to me, but more rarely. I want to be in the moment because every single second has its own story to tell.
When making a feat, I have the impression that for you, it is more critical for the connection to be human before being musical.
Yes, totally. First of all, mutual respect and chemistry are essential. Sometimes, big names can work together and develop a song, but when there's no chemistry, the song will not take off, no matter how many artists you put together. There's a feat between Eminem and Beyoncé... Have you seen the result!? (laughs)
During your career, you have done many features with artists like Joé Dwèt Filé, Haristone, Abou Debeing, etc. But there is one person with whom we see that the connection is on a different level: S.Pri Noir. You two are often involved in each other's projects, and "Demande-Moi" is a song that marks your respective careers. Can you tell me more about your relationship?
He's like my brother. We started together, and it will soon be 15 years... I feel like an old man when I say that, yet I'm pretty young. (laughs) Basically, he's one of the big brothers from the project that I used to see rapping. I used to rap in my corner, but as time passed, we started working together with the people who later became our producers and managers. The connection between us is definitely musical, but it goes far beyond that. When we meet in real life, we talk about music 10% of the time and the rest of the time about life or many other things, you know? He's like family to me.
I know that the fans are asking a lot for a joint project.
It's true, and they keep telling me that. It would indeed be nice because it's a real friendship story. But did you know that we already collaborated on a project in 2012? Our generation was among the first to do it. We shared this American mindset: "Come on, let's sit down in the studio, let's have fun, let's make some songs without overthinking it". Who knows if it will happen again? We talk about it sometimes, but then, you know, we all have busy schedules to manage. But you never know. Everything's possible.
In the course of your career, you've managed to come up with nothing but hits. What is your recipe for success?
I don't know if I have a recipe, but I think what people love is that I can put words to emotions. I try to express sincerely things that we sometimes wish we could say. There's also the fact that my songs are easy to sing and understand, you know? It's a mix of all that, making the music accessible to enjoy, digest, and remember. And when you just feel like dancing, you can just listen to the song and not get carried away with the lyrics. However, if you want to sit down and chill out, you realise that the lyrics hold much meaning.
As an artist, would you prefer to be in a studio or perform on stage?
That's a tough one, but I prefer the studio now. Being able to create something is powerful. Leaving the studio after making something that didn't exist the day before is like having superpowers, in a way. "Shaping sounds" has a magical side to it that I enjoy. I see myself as a scientist, you know?
What would you like to achieve in your career?
What I really want to do is always come up with good stuff. Songs that reflect who I am and that I will still be proud of in 10 years. I constantly challenge myself so I can strive to get better every time. Always be productive, always have new inspirations, new topics to address, new melodies to experiment with... I'm lucky to be well surrounded by that.
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