Discovered by Skread (beatmaker for Booba) , ultra geek and super freak 25 years old rapper Orelsan has just released his debut album “Perdu d’avance” on 3ème Bureau/Wagram. He’s bound to use the Fairtilizer player to spread his “Classics & Influences” mix all over the net. Check it out here first!

Hi Orel, how are you doing?

I’m good thanks, it’s 3 in morning I’m watching an episode of Kenshiro while answering your questions.

Please introduce yourself.

I’m a 26 years old French rapper. I just finished my first album « Perdu d’avance» which means something like «Already Lost». The album is in stores February 16th. I’m from Caen, a small city in Normandy, two hours away from Paris.

How did the project start?

I started making rap music around 10 years ago. 2 years ago I created a Myspace on which I put a homemade video called «St Valentin» (Valentine’s Day). The lyrics were something like a mix between porn and humour, it created a pretty good buzz. I added new videos and new songs ever since. Different labels were interested in my shit so I ended up signin on 3èmeBureau, a new French independant label, last June.

What’s your new release about?

It’s about about me basically, I’m a rapper I’ve got to be a conceited selfish bastard. Hehe. It mostly talks about my vision of life, every song has a strong atmosphere. It talks about being a French kid between 15 and 25 years, about girls, about being unconfident, about going out at night and getting kicked out of the clubs, about drinking heavily, about finding a job…you know…the life and tribulations of a regular European boy.

What’s your Fairtilizer’s mix about?

First of all , I’d like to say that this kind of exercise, choosing ten songs, is an unbelievely hard fuckin thing to do for a music fan. I would probably have not put the same songs tomorrow or the day after. I tried to put a mix of what I could listen on a regular day. But ten songs is so reducing, I listen to a lot of different music, and it depends a lot of what mood I’m in. I mostly listen to rap music of course, but I also listen to a lot of pop, metal, soul, electro, cartoon music…Whatever falls in my ear that I like.

What do you listen to these days?

It’s not original but currently I listen to the new albums by Lil Wayne, Kayne West, TI, Ludacris…also “Pop Champagne”, I ‘m in a mainstream-mood these days. And I bought the first Craig David album again yesterday, I saw it it the store, I wanted to hear how it sounds like with a recent ear.

How do you see today’s French hiphop scene?

We have a good hiphop scene in France. We have many amazing lyricists. There are also some really bad rappers, but I try to stay focused on the things I like.

Influences and family?

Everything I see and hear influences me. Music, movies, my friends…I really don’t like to give names of groups that have influenced me because there are too many!

As an artist what services do you expect from internet?

To make my music accessible to listeners, to keep in touch with the people that like it, to do promotion for my album. It also allows 12 years old geeks to talk shit about me. I also expect to find new girls that let me show them in real life what I talk about in «St Valentin».

And how is it important to you today?

It’s very important because it’s how I got known. I also have a blog on which I talk about my way in this music industry.

Digital or physical, is there a place for both?

If you talk about music I think digital is the future, the industry has to adapt quickly because physical is going to die. If you talk about sex, digital is pretty frustrating but can be fun once in a while.

Smoking or non smoking clubs?

I smoke but i’m kind of used to non smoking clubs now. As long as there is somewhere outside we can smoke easily, it’s fine. The worst thing is this small smoking rooms they have in some places, you don’t even need to light one, it’s like smoking a pack every ten minutes spent there.

The future of Orelsan?

I don’t know. It’s my first album so I see what people think about it, I dont know if it’s gonna work or not. I’ll adapt anyways. I also have a group called Casseurs Flowters (wet bandits), we might pull out a mixtape one day. And I’ll start to work on my second album as soon as I get my modjo back.

And the music industry?

The future of music industry? As a newcomer I don’t really know the music biz but I know it’s gonna have face changes.

Do you live off music today?

Yes , but I don’t know how long it’s gonna last…

If i can say something to end this interview, I’d like to ask you to forgive me for my English, and my French too! Listen to my album even if you don’t understand french, my beatmaker Skread is amazing and you have to check what he did on it!

Orelsan top 10 tracklisting

Jedi Mind Tricks feat. Planetary “I Against I”
Method Man “Release Yo Delf”
Non Phixion “The CIA is Trying to Kill Me”
Notorious BIG “Party and Bullshit”
Justin Timberlake “Cry Me a River”
Lil Wayne ft. Fabolous & Juelz Santana ” You Aint Got Nothin”
Sean Price “Onion Headz”
Nas “The Message”
The Prodigy “No Good”
Outkast “Flip Flop Rock”
Pete Rock feat. Ghostface Killah Raekwon & Prodigy “Tha Game”