Fatima Bah, Marc-Elder Piard, Naila Naoui, Ahmed El Moudden, the apprentice journalists of École Converse, meet the Franco-Algerian rapper Soolking.
On May 5, the Franco-Algerian rapper Soolking, one of the most prominent French-speaking artists of his generation, performed at the Olympia in Montreal. The artist, with his raï, reggae and R&B rhythms, is reaching an increasingly large young audience. From Algiers to Montreal, the influence of Soolking, whose real name is Abderraouf Derradji, goes beyond borders. Five hours before the concert, young North African teenagers wait in line in the hope of meeting their idol. But what would they want to ask Soolking? “What is the secret of success? How did you get there? Who pushed you to start? ”
“I am part of my audience”
Soolking has two albums to his credit, and a third, highly anticipated, will be released on May 27. Wearing clothes from Akatsuki, from the manga Naruto, the artist tells us that he is currently working on the publication of a manga, a genre of Japanese comic books from which he got his rapper name. Abderraouf Derradji, who is 32 years old, has been living in France since 2014. The rapper does not hesitate to integrate his cultural background into his art, a mark of authenticity to which his audience is sensitive. “Many young people today [...], who come from the country and who go to Europe, the United States, and Canada, who go to Europe, the United States, Canada, export their musical background with them. It immediately allows them to stand out from the others,” he says. Soolking is one of the first artists in France to have integrated North African sounds into rap.
The story of Liberté
While Soolking likes to talk about success and love in his songs, he sometimes feels the need to address more political themes. That's what we understand when we listen to the iconic song Guerrilla and, more recently, of the song Freedom.
This piece is the result of a collaboration with The group of anonymous singers Ouled El Bahdja. Politically committed, Ouled El Bahdja ended up embodying the desire for change in Algeria. When the band plays on national television, the sound is sometimes muted to prevent the audience from hearing the lyrics. Its members never give interviews.
In his dressing room before his concert, Soolking explains to us the genesis of Liberté.
“I was listening to a piece they made called Ultima Verba, and as luck would have it, in the chorus, they say “freedom.” I then said to myself: in real life, I have to invite them, I have to repeat their chorus and so, in the verses, I can say what I wanted to say from the beginning”, explains the artist.
Released in March 2019, Liberté expresses transgenerational aspirations for a better future in Algeria, where the song was a phenomenal success. From Montreal to Paris and everywhere in Algeria, it was quickly adopted by the Algerian people and their diaspora as an anthem. Hirak protests. For more than three years, Algerians demonstrated against the current regime, pushing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign after 20 years of rule and calling for a change in the system. It is in this context that Soolking's songs have transcended generations. In his concerts, you don't only find young people. There are also their parents who are as sensitive as their children to the rapper's denunciations and political hopes.
When we discuss the issue with him, Abderraouf Derradji admits that he did not think about Hirak in particular. “I did not necessarily aim for a situation, a moment or a thing. It's just like that, they say the stars aligned. There were demonstrations in Algeria, there were demonstrations in Lebanon, there was the re-election in Tunisia, and the ci and the that. There were the Yellow Vests. At that moment, so, as it was released, it had a big impact because there were a lot of people who appropriated it in relation to the events that were happening in their country.” He goes on to add that some people rather adopted the song because of their thirst for freedom. “There are other people who adopted it because, already, in their daily lives [...] they needed freedom, of a message of freedom”, suggests the interpreter.
The failures of success
Despite what it shimmers, fame is sometimes difficult to live with for the international rapper, who fears losing his humanity. What does he suggest to young people who want to follow in his footsteps? To keep your feet on the ground and, above all, to undertake a project for good reasons. “The side Famous, it's the bad side of this job, he confides. You become like a marketing product, like a T-shirt. A T-shirt, you walk down the street, you can say to him: “I like it, but I don't really like sewing.” You can shake it. But you're becoming like a T-shirt. And there are some, not all of them luckily, who forget that you are human. So, you have to go easy with the Buzz ”, he adds in the same breath.
While fame is on the agenda, the path has however been strewn with obstacles for the musician. Today's international star was yesterday an itinerant stateless person. The rapper went to France without status to pursue a career in the music world. And there were times when he found himself with no place to sleep. Abderraouf, before becoming Soolking, slept on the streets of France.
Obstacles have been formative, according to the rapper. “Failure, I think, is more important than career success. Because failure makes you question yourself [...] It makes you learn,” he explains in all humility. The love that his fans have for him touches him enormously. That is why he is always ready to offer them advice so that they can reach their goals. “Young people who want to start in any field, medicine, music, sports, studies, whatever, I tell them that you have to be determined, that you have to believe in it, you have to believe in it, not to give up and give yourself the means too. It's not, “We sleep at home and say to ourselves: ah, but I'm not lucky anyway.” No, you have to get up. You have to go, try, try, try, force, downright. And if that doesn't work, at least, in your self-esteem, you'll say to yourself: “I tried anyway.””
It is with these messages, which can be found in the lyrics of his songs and as we meet, that we understand why Soolking inspires young people everywhere he goes.
To go further
- Algeria: Liberté by Soolking, anthem of the anti-Bouteflika demonstrations (bfmtv.com)'Misery Gives Us Strength': Soolking, the Rap Voice of Young Algeria | Rap | The GuardianDeadly stampede at the Soolking concert in Algeria: prison for organizers — Le ParisienI only knew Bouteflika as president. I want things to change | El Watan(140) Deadly stampede in Algeria during the concert of the rapper Soolking — YouTube