A Rap & A Cup of Tea // No.5 _ December 2019

Moka bokA 5

It was in Nantes, during the Hipopsession festival, that we went to meet Moka Boka. This talented Belgian artist is grateful for the passion of his audience. With a smile on his face, a warm welcome and a friendly laugh, the one, who’d spent a year in London, in the Levisham district, gave his time for A Rap & A Cup Of Tea. He left his mark on the international scene thanks to his appearance on the Colors Show, and now has entrusted us talking particularly about his beginnings in music and his desire to take the time to ensure he releases high-quality music.This 26-year-old man from Brussel has been very honest about the music industry, which he learns more about every day. Always lost between failure and the ideal, Moka Boka from his real name Julien - told us about his life philosophy and the importance of his mixing in his music.

Since he has been publicly validated by artists such as Romeo Elvis, Krisy and Lomepal, he won't fail to seduce you with his suave voice and honesty. It's impossible not to fall under his spell as he's destined for an amazing future.

Did you fall in love with Rap when you were young, or has your love 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 am 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 it was 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 other rappers, female or male, for that matter - made me want to be one of them. I thought it was fascinating and it really made me want to 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 really glad. The charisma, I can’t really explain. 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, because the emotions they convey to me are through those two factors.

When I was a kid, I didn’t really understand what they were saying, but I was really trying to replicate what they were doing through their flow and their gestures.