Moroccan Hip–Hop as a music genre has gained much popularity among the youth in recent years in Morocco. You now have recognizable names such as Casa Crew, H-Kayen, AlFaress, Fnaire, and the list goes on. There is also a group of artists based outside Morocco. RS-LOU belongs to this group. Born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, RS-LOU moved to the United States in mid-90s after residing briefly in Italy. I caught up with RS-LOU to find out more:Jamal Laoudi (JL): A pleasure having you RS-LOU. To start, who is RS-LOU the person?
RS-LOU: Thank you for taking the time to do this Jamal. RS-LOU’s real name is Miloud ElAomari, a person just like everybody else. I love life, my family, sport, and music.
JL: What can you share about how RS-LOU the artist was born?
RS-LOU: I used to listen to Hip-Hop and Reggae music with my brothers growing up. I have always wanted to get my opinions across and express myself, and music seemed the most natural mean for me to accomplish that. "Morocco is the Place to Be" is my first single and that was the first window for the outside world into my work. The motivation behind that one is the realization that a strong bond to Morocco still persisted within me despite having lived outside the motherland for many years. It is the case for just about everybody as matter of fact. I performed that song on 2M TV’s program “Ajial” during my interview with them in 2008, and it gets plenty of playtime on 2M’s Radio as well.
JL: Where did the name RS-LOU come from?
RS-LOU: The “R” comes from my son’s name Rayan, the “S” from my daughter’s name Sofia, and “LOU” is derived from my first name Miloud.
JL: What Hip-Hop artists influenced you the most?
RS-LOU: Tupac Shukur by far. I respect his ability to make thought-provoking songs. He was a very talented rapper with amazing delivery ability and an effective method of communicating his messages. His rhymes and rhythms were also impeccable.
JL: How do you think you have developed and continue to develop as an artist?
RS-LOU: I am constantly working on developing my talent and improving my skills. I strive to continuously learn and I am not afraid to try new things and venture in unchartered territories. If something fails, I try other things because I don’t perceive failure as a bad thing; it is part of acquiring experience in life. .
JL: How many albums do you have out and where can they be found?
RS-LOU: There is a mixtape of seven songs that is on www.rapmaroc.org. It can also be found on my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/rslou.
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JL: What does RSLOU have in store for 2009?
RS-LOU: 2009 is going to be a great year! I have another mixtape with a new style, an upcoming video clip, and collaborations with some European artists.
JL: Which artists have you worked with this far?
RS-LOU: I have worked with quite few already. Notably Alfaress from Morocco with whom I have a track coming out early June, K-Ali, Layla, and Pablo Spero from Italy, Str8 from England, Samira from Spain, Trouble from New York, Casaset, Laraboys, Sk'Y, Trouble C. I hope I have covered all.
JL: Who is the one artist you would like to work with?
RS-LOU: To be honest with you, I am open to working with anybody. I really don't have a specific person. But you know in this business, you need a big name to help get your name out there faster.
JL: I understand that you write your own lyrics. Can you take me through that process? Where do you get your inspiration from? How long does it take to write lyrics for a song?
RS-LOU: Well, I have to have the concept figured out first. I would then play a chosen beat over and over and then I start writing down the details. Inspiration comes from my life experiences. There is no notion of time of completion. Some can take months to finish.
JL: Any upcoming live performances in the states this year?
RS-LOU: Not as of yet but that door is always open. It would be great to do a show here in the states. I would love to do something for the Moroccan Community. I do have few things in the making for Morocco however.
JL: What do you have in the making?
RS-LOU: I think 2M might have something set up for me. We are still working out the details. There is the possibility of doing few festivals as well; we will see.
JL: What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
RS-LOU: That would have to be maintaining myself as a good role-model. That is a role I took on by virtue of having my own two kids looking up to me. It is very easy to fall into the style of hip-hop with lots of profanity and inappropriate topics for the youth. I am a father and I understand the impact a song can have on a young person. I am challenged on a daily basis to make sure that what I write is respectful and meaningful, yet popular enough to thrive in the hip-hop market.
JL: Hip-Hop as you know is not that popular among certain demographics in Morocco. Why do you think that is?
RS-LOU: I feel that hip-hop is a victim of stereotype. Most people associate individuals who like hip-hop with crime and drugs. It is this stereotype that causes some youth to actually fall into this environment and justify it. To me hip-hop is just like any other kind of music out there, Rai, Chaabi, Country, Rock&Roll… It is a mean for artists to express themselves, and address important things to them.
JL: We are going to play a little game; I am going to mention 10 words, 2 at a time. Tell me which word you prefer out of every pair:
- Tea or Coffee?
RS-LOU: Tea
- Rai or Chaabi?
RS-LOU: Rai
- Basketball or Soccer?
RS-LOU: Soccer
- Tajin or Couscous?
RS-LOU: Couscous
- NY or LA?
RS-LOU: LA
JL: We have come to the end, thank you RS-LOU for entertaining all these questions and I wish you much success. As it is customary, the last words go to you:
RS-LOU: Well, thank you Mr. Jamal for this interview. I hope that people enjoy my music. I also hope to be a good example for the young fans because I am fully aware of the impact positive messages can have especially through music. There are many aspiring artists and I wish them all the best not only in their music but in anything else in life. Thank you again.
"Morocco is the Place 2 B" By RS-LOU
JL 2009 - Copyright(c)
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