Interview with BlackSon

Nahila S – When and how did you start MCing and producing?

BlackSon – At first, when I was a kid, my mother was always put the music box machine in my bed to facilitate me to slumber thus I was loving to hear the music, so I took some piano lesson when I was 8 years and began to go to Conservatory. But it was only for 2 months cause the Conservatory was too far from my home, the important is that this musical symbol is still always in my head.

And so I remind Feast of the Throne of 1992, my teacher got it for me for my participation in School Activities, cause they needed me to play the piano and for the students to sing. There was a competition between all the schools and we pulled ahead! but in the end it was as if the schoolmaster was stealing the gifts, as always (the rich eating the poor and the poor eating each others).

And that is the biggest reason why I started writing poems and then lyrics. I discovered that the rap is the only style of music which can explain your mood and your feelings.

In 1997, me and some friends created a group (initially Hip Hop 2000 then New Style) and made two albums, in 2000 ( Narjiss Street Sons) and in 2003 (Orphans).

In 2004 I started to find out how to fix the beats, and as always one of my favorite quotes: “if you stop learning you stop living!” This is why I always try to do my best, the music is like the sea so I try always to swim within the undulations and waves.

In 2006, I created a new group is named: Fes-Konektion and in 2010 I started my solo career, and I made an LP album: R&B (Art in Black), so the music is my oxygen, or as I said of one of the quote: “The music is my only girlfriend who’s never breaking my spirit, so this why I chose to get hitched with her forever”

Nahila S – Where does the name Blackson come from?

BlackSon – That is a serious question and thanks cause you are giving me this opportunity to explain to the people what I mean by Blackson . Cause there’s a big story behind this name.

When I was in school, I was the only and lonely one with dark skin, and honestly I was feeling different from the others, one thing before I finish this story… In Morocco there’s a lot of people living here without any problems, no racism or hate, but honestly in this school there was a lot of discrimination. My French teacher never called me by my name, just “black face” and “stupid”, maybe this is a good reason for me not to speak good French today!!

Anyway I was feeling guilty for my color skin, I still remember a lot of jokes about me, and she is always being made me clean the blackboard, and I remember they were broadcasting a television mini series called the Roots on TV. Thus the students themselves were screaming at me names: Kunta Kinte from it so for me my school was like hell.

And then the best things happened I finally went to a new school near my abode, really felt so good, but I still always hold in my mind what occurred to me.

So in 2003 I was at a concert, then I meet my old French teacher, she did not remind me, but me, I never forget her face. She asked me about one of my new albums CDs, and she told me her daughter she was always playing our songs. Then I asked her: what about you? Are you from my fans too? she said yes,sure I love your voice and your words and I always watch you!
I said “thanks my teacher, cause you really made me proud of myself now, cause the black face is someone now”.

So this is the story why I chose this name formerly and also because I’m black and my favorite rapper is Nas, I always loved his album : God’s Son , and I converted it to Black Son.

Nahila S –Who or what were your early influences?

BlackSon – Michael Jackson no doubt cause I started out my career as a Dancer, and the laughable things about this some people who remind me when I was a dancer, they even still until now called me : Michael Jackson even when he died, a bunch of people call me on the phone, so Michael was a superb dancer, was a respectable artist, I constantly was listening to his songs and I started to dance like him, tried to move like him. When I perform his famous dance: moonwalker, it is really giving me the feeling l win the lottery hahaha!!!

So the king of pop is the big reason for me to be an artist, if you ask all singers or any rappers in the world from 90’s,
they will say Michael Jackson who was the source of inspiration. Even his album Bad is the first album I bought. By the way, Thanks to one member of my family, her name: Titi lalla moulati, cause this is her who truly gave me the money to purchase it.

So this is Michael who gives me the force to stimulate my knowledge about music , Rest In Peace Michael.

Nahila S – Can you explain to us how your childhood and personal life did and still does influence your music?

BlackSon – Life is presenting you the best experiences without any diplomas, and reading daily lessons in the best school without any walls. Then my childhood taught me a great deal of things. My school was a blacklist, but I’ll talk about who truly supported and supports me from above: my Mother. So in truth, I believe the angels is coming down from the skies, because she is really angelic.

Then guess if she is not being in my life in this bad moment, Les Misérables book, perhaps the public thinks of Black Son Beats will be Jean Valjean beats. When she died, I can’t really explain cause hence, I still really miss her everyday, when you lose your mother you lose everything… so I think that’s why my music is dark.

There are black and white piano keys, but invariably I watch exactly one color.. cause there are many people who ask me this question, why your music and your songs are always with some sadness? And so I use the alphabet for writing about my life and I explain it to the others by do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si or ti.

Nahila S – How is the Hip Hop scene in Morocco?

BlackSon – Hip hop in Morocco is like the world today, many faults and many improper things, talking about the hip hop in Morocco is like talking about Palestine many victims.
Cause there are many rappers who don’t know about rhythm and poetry or Access to Knowledge movement. Honestly, I don’t listen to much, maybe some rappers they will hate me, but like Scarface movie quotes: I don’t have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. even when I lie.
But is related with being famous but about being a good rapper. I’ll not talk right now about what is the difference between MC and rapper, but if you want to be a rapper, you have to love rap not do it cause you see someone else do it.

But there are some rappers who are so good but are not having the opportunity to be famous or be on tv, like what I said: the television is broadcasting just garbage But I listen to the best rappers, and passing over the fake rappers by using the skip button, my big respect goes to :Amineoffice.

Nahila S – You are one of the Producer of a project I work on also called “All United 4 Our Children” that is dedicated to the Ophean of Bamako. How did you start this collaboration and why did you decide to participate?

BlackSon – At the beginning, thank you cause you made me a member of this Humanitarian work. Then when you actually talked with me about this project, it was really my pleasure cause I’m from Morocco, I know many African people and I recognize what they live, there are many wars, but civil war are the most dangerous wars! There are many people dying and many children are orphans.

Then this project has been the best things I do it in my life, so really Isa, thank you so much cause you gave me this honor for be in this project. I would love to thank also: Mohamed Lamine Keita and Cristo and for all the members of the MLK Fundation, really the project “All United 4 Our Children” is made of many people from many countries who speak the same language, like one of my quote: “Don’t try to understand people, but try to understand the humanity”.

Nahila S – To date what are your best personal and career achievements?

BlackSon – Ask this question to the people who know me as a person not as Blackson. Perhaps you will be surprised. I don’t have any career achievements, cause I still counting for the best daily. Even I don’t recognize how much in my account bank , until I find the message: The account is closed.. And then I will always be as a student in school until I die because nobody will be in college so the best personal and career achievements for me are : to be a good person. Perhaps they will say I’m a failure, but The Failure is not to be without money, but to be without Principles.

And thanks to all my fans from all the world, even if I don’t speak many languages, but my music speaks and touches many ears.

Nahila S – Any other upcoming projects we shall know of?

BlackSon – Right now am working on the new album Black Philosophy, I record some songs, but I still and always change it cause this album will be r&b and rap. I need to create different kind of musics for this album, this is why I will take the time to finish it.

And am Technical director of the Association Morocco-voice, me and my friend: Said Lamdaghri (x-conseil), we are forming this Association step by step, the studio is ready, right now we are fronting for the real rappers to help them and to produce them. Then there are some rappers from Africa who joined us, but like always I try to choose only the best, because we are playing the music from old school. This is why I’ll make a mixtape for the older generation so I hope that it will be done soon.

Nahila S – What does your passion for music bring you?

BlackSon – The music has given me a feeling I can’t buy it or find it. To me… Like I change one quote from Goodfellas movie: to me being an artist was more better than being president of the United States, as Bob Marley said: One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,so i never imagine my life without music, cause the music is changing my feelings, so it heals my soul when I’m depressed. So imagine a world without music! I guess the music is a only thing that no one in the world hates, so we can’t hold out without breathing oxygen or drink water and consuming food and without listening to music.

Nahila S – As a conclusion, what advise or message would you pass on to someone willing to MCing or Beatmaking nowadays?

BlackSon – There are many people who hate their jobs, cause they were looking for something to love, but sometimes when they do something they love, it is not making money and then they stop doing it, so my advice to the others: No one can buy talent, or can sell it to somebody else, but Allah gives it to you,
then no matter what happens, keep your faith in your gift. As Thomas Edison quotes, I have not failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that won’t work,
Read books for getting the knowledge, and try to do everything using your talent so keep working hard. If you want to create a good music, use your heart, then use your ears, it does not not matter how to play piano with fingers, but it matters to play it with your feeling.

Perhaps the music today is being too easy to do it, but you have to know there’s a great story behind the rap music and then I hope they get a line from the past,
as Marcus Tullius Cicero said: To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain always a child so peace and love.