Official MC of the group Chinese Man, Youthstar has just released his very first solo EP entitled SA. MOD Hot Sauce. Produced by Senbei, this six-track EP gravitates in the nebula Chinese Man Records with the participation of Deluxe, ASM or Taiwan MC. Solo career, influences, love of Drum & Bass, JustFocus met this supercharged MC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyfj5lD5cNE
Can you tell us about your background?
Basically, I come from the Drum & Bass scene. I was in it since I was young. I've been in several bands, and I've worked with great drum DJs. I started with Elisa do Brasil, then I was part of the group Dirtyphonics. During that time I also worked with other DJs like DC Breaks, Nero, Andy C, etc. Then I left Dirtyphonics to join Camo & Crooked. At the same time, I met the Chinese Man through Taiwan MC, all towards the end of 2010. And since then, little by little, I stayed more and more with the Chinese until I became the singer of the group. Taiwan MC doesn't work with us anymore, but he still stays in the family, it's just that he's more focused on his solo project and his live with S.O.Has.P (on Chinese Man Records).
How did you choose your name, "Youthstar"?
I had other names when I was 13 or 14, but I'd rather not tell you them (laughs). Youthstar dates from when I was 16. I was doing a freestyle … finally I tried to do a freestyle, but a real freestyle: "Off the dome". At one point I came up with a sentence with "youthstar" and everyone said, "yes, youthstar is not bad." It's as simple as that, and I've kept it ever since. It's been 15 years already.
How long have you been living in France?
I arrived in France just before I turned 17. Since then I have spent so much time in France that I speak French. France is my home.
Why do you speak English on stage when you are proficient in French?
I often speak with people in French. But I don't sing in French. If I do that, I ruin my career in one night. I still sometimes shout "Make noise!! " or "Are you hot?", stuff like that. The truth is that on stage I am a little too shy to speak in French.
You've worked with a lot of bands and now you're releasing your first EP, what made you want to produce your own music?
I've always done a lot of featurings with many artists right and left, but it's been years since everyone told me to do my solo thing. In the end it was never the right time, I had to meet the right people, the right labels I wanted to work with. What I liked about Chinese Man Records is that it's extremely open. The labels I worked with before were all specialized either Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Hip Hop… Chinese Man Records offered me to do my EP. It happened very naturally.
An EP that was produced by Senbeï, how did you meet it?
He's a friend I've known for 10 years and who works on a lot of projects too. He's open to a lot of styles of music, he's a fucking producer and above all he's a real geek: whether in music, production, video… He directed the music video with Chill Bump and Illaman; he had also participated in the video with Big Red … It's really good to work with him.
Did you give him directions for the production of your EP?
Downright! Apart from the song with Deluxe, which they composed themselves and on which Senbeï just made some arrangements, I was present in the studio for all the tracks of the EP. It was Senbeï and me. The thing is that me on a computer I suck, but I was still there to give him my ideas, my directions. It was always an agreement between the two of us to find the thing that gets the most high. Since this is my EP, I wanted to be there on all stages of creation. It wouldn't have been fair for me to just choose the tracks I like, even if there are artists who do it like that. I wanted to be part of everything, even though it's clear that he was the genius behind the computer and I couldn't have done these songs without him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvGaEwiZmOo
Do you want to do more Drum & Bass songs?
A lot of people asked me why there wasn't a Drum & Bass on this EP when I come from that scene. It's just that when you're creating something, you don't know exactly where you're going. I didn't think that this EP had to be Drum & Bass, or Hip Hop… But it's clear that one day I will do Drum & Bass again. I don't know when yet, we'll see in time. The reason I kind of left Drum & Bass is that after years of doing the MC, doing 16 bars here and there jumping everywhere, I missed making songs. Something a little more square where I can better express my artistic side and not just be an MC who is there to ambience people. In any case yes, there are Drum & Bass projects planned.
Does this EP announce a future album?
Yes that's already the idea. Now we're starting a second EP, I can't say more. After that it will surely be the album.
It feels like this is the beginning of Youthstar solo?
Exactly! There we are even looking at the dates and putting together a live with Senbeï. But at the same time I'm still part of Chinese Man, the label… We're all together! I love working with them, it's family, we'll do all this together.
Interview by Louis Rayssac and Martin Roucoules.
