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STILL FRESH // Interview
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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.
When it comes to "versatile" songs, 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, to reinvent themes again and again without ever being redundant and this is probably his greatest 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 the mood you're in. 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, there are some that hits differently than others. Maybe because I've really 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 letting him know that he'll never replace me, she'll always have me in her head with a bunch of arrogant, rageful lines. The truth is, 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 certain emotions that are overwhelming, 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 particular song, I talk to My Lady and I let her know that yes, we do get in over our heads and that it does hurt us. But if you need something, just ask me. We've all had this conversation before. It goes back to what I said, I make songs that 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... When I am writing, I don't think of making a song "only about breakups". 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 that we can go through, such as doubt, regrets, 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, either 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, talking. I watch a lot of movies, documentaries, I read a lot of books... The stories that people tell me too, the anecdotes, etc. Anything can be an inspiration for a topic. The things I experience that will affect me and that will naturally make me want to talk about this or that topic. You could say that I'm like a sponge, everything that surrounds me will inspire me. For example, as we're talking, there might be a word that will stick out to me 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 industrialized. 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, 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 all year long with EP's like this. I just release a small project with 5 songs, 2-3 months later I release more songs, a few more months later I do 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 every once in a while you get your fill.
'' I make songs that you can dance to or sit and reflect on.''
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 a particular mood for each one of them. For example, I realized that 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. Whether it's music, covers, art direction or themes, everything is inspired by the moment.
Would you say that you're an instinctive person?
Yes, I'm very instinctive since I don't write my lyrics ahead of time. 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 like 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 important for the connection to be human before being musical.
Yes, totally. First of all, mutual respect is important as well as chemistry. Sometimes, big names can work together and come up with 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)
In the course of your career, you have done a lot of featurings 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 also a song that marked your respective careers. Can you tell me more about your relationship?
He's like my brother. We started together, it will soon be 15 years... I feel like an old man when I say that, yet I'm quite young. (laughs) Basically, he's one of the big brothers from the project that I used to see rapping, I used to rap myself in my own corner, but as time went by, we started working together with the people who later became our producers and managers. The connection between us is musical for sure, 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 ask a lot for a common project...
It's true, they keep telling me that. It's true that it would be nice because it's a real friendship story. But did you know that we already collaborated on a project in 2012? In our generation, we were among the first to do it. We actually shared this American mindset of "Come on, let's sit down in the studio, let's have fun, let's make some songs without thinking too much about 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.
''A common project with S.Pri Noir? 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 in a sincere way things that we sometimes wish we could say. There's also the fact that my songs are easy to sing, easy to understand, you know? Basically, it's a mix of all of that, making the music easy to enjoy, easy to digest, and easy to 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 realize that the lyrics actually hold a lot of meaning.
As an artist, would you say that you prefer the studio or performing on stage?
That's a tough one, but for the moment I prefer the studio. Being able to create something is powerful. Leaving the studio after creating something that didn't exist the day before, it's like having superpowers in a way. "Shaping sounds", there's a magical side to it that I really enjoy. I see myself as a scientist, you know?
What would you really 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. Always 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 for that.
