PLTFRM: French The Kid
When French The Kid unleashed debut single ‘Bella Latina’ in 2019, we were introduced to a bilingual rapper with component parts of his identity mapped out in a charged 3-minute declaration: cocksure bars rapped in French and English, allusions to the Traveller community he grew up with, and the Essex contingent that made him. French The Kid has built his reputation by galvanising a fanbase online, dissolving the barrier between artist and consumer through challenges on social media. His Daily Duppy freestyle was a viral success on YouTube; the comments section heralded the arrival of an insurgent but relatable force in UK rap.
Last year, French unveiled debut mixtape ‘Never Been Ordinary’, hitting the sticky spot between road rap and tailor-made, commercialised drill. A year on, a new era dawns. New epigrams and sonic signifiers are folded into a more mosaic portrayal of French The Kid on follow-up project ‘No Signal’: where the former was sunlit and carefree, ‘No Signal’ is more downcast and probing. Lead single ‘Single Player’ surveys the duality at the heart of the project, a vertiginous mix of shroom-fuelled thrills and tormented, conscious-leaning storytelling. The narrative is more compelling than the bruised bravado first suggests: that of a mercurial young man working through the growing disparity between his humble beginnings, his brush with the criminal underworld and the public-facing figure now commanding thousands of fans to his mainstage. The result isn’t nihilistic and the road French walks is a redemptive one, even if he doesn’t quite know where it leads.
For this month’s PLTFRM feature, French The Kid connects the dots of his journey leading up to the release of ‘No Signal’, touching on his roots, the catharsis that comes with solitude, and the importance of pursuing a passion with unrelenting vigour.
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French, you were born in Romford, Essex, you spent formative years in Australia and then later France, before returning to the UK. Where do your roots lie?
I’ve always wanted to come back to Romford. Australia always felt temporary. In hindsight, we were fortunate to go; my Mum met my Stepdad and he got a job opportunity out there. But even when we got there, I was pretty vocal about wanting to go home. I didn’t like it. Home was always Romford.
The francophone influence is a prominent part of your artistry and you toy with the language in your songs. Was learning French a challenge? Did it come naturally?
When I was in France I got thrown into a public school. My Mum was very adamant that I learn the language, and I found learning from friends easier than learning in lessons. I did feel a sense of belonging in France, it wasn’t so far removed from my life here. I was there for seven years and these years were important years in my life. Learning the language opened me up in so many ways.
Who were you listening to when you were in France?
A lot of French rap but at the same time my Mum was influential in introducing me to 60s rock. She was a proper hippie. I grew up on a lot of different things and I guess, I had the best of both worlds. From the French rap world, I listened to say to the alt-rap of PNL, the hardcore, classic rap of Booba and Kaaris. At that time, these guys were dominating the scene.
You mention having the best of both worlds in terms of influences. Name three English-speaking rappers that sum up who you are as an artist – rappers you revisit at any time and still discover something new?
I would say the ones I’ve always listened to are 50 Cent, Kid Cudi and Nines. It’s a weird selection but they represent the different parts of what I like.
When you’re young you look for consistency in your life, something tangible to hold onto. For you, that consistency came in the form of music. Take me back to your early experiments freestyling between English and French…
So, I remember the moment clearly. Shout out Rory, he’s my boy and he lives in Berlin now but he used to live in a flat in Gants Hill and we got absolutely slaughtered! He was responsible for those early experiments from a production standpoint. It’s hard to explain, but I was still thinking in French at this point. I slipped in a rhyme that was in French but ran with the English part. My boys were like, “Oh my days! You need to do it again. Do it again.” I just ran with it and felt comfortable enough to release them gradually. That led to recording freestyles on Instagram. That’s literally where it all started.
You’ve been able to leverage the viral reach of platforms like TikTok with your challenges and freestyles. Does that part of being an artist come naturally to you or do you feel it’s something required of you?
I think at the start it was challenging because I was a bit awkward with talking to people in general. Since then, the support has increased and I’m messaged by listeners coming across my tracks for the first time. You start to get more comfortable with the spotlight and building those connections. Now it’s just natural. I do Twitch now and it gives me another way to interact with them. It’s not a requirement and I don’t feel like it’s a burden.
This time last year you released debut project ‘Never Been Ordinary’. You explored hedonism through drugs and drink, isolation and loss. Why was it important for you to focus on the authenticity of your life from the off?
I’ll call it a motto: I’ve never been ordinary. That guides me to this day. It was always quite natural to dig deep and reflect on what was going on in my life. We don’t all have the same story but I know what true struggle is. Still, I never changed who I was, I never changed what I looked like – I always kept my side part! I never cared because that’s just me. That’s where ‘Never Been Ordinary’ came from.
Name a song from ‘Never Been Ordinary’ that goes down well when you perform it live?
Something about ‘Thrill’ and the way it crossed over…I don’t know how it does it but it just goes crazy. No matter where we are, no matter what country we’re in, ‘Thrill’ just pops off proper.
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Why did you choose ‘Single Player’ as the introduction of phase two of French the Kid?
I wanted to do something different; I get a kick out of going out my comfort zone. As soon as I heard the jersey sound I knew I wanted to rap over it. I thought, let me try implement that with my own signature sound and create something moody that also goes hard. I just wanted to change it up. You have to keep up with the times but still keep some of you in there, ‘Single Player’ was a way to do that.
Why did you opt for that title ‘No Signal’ and how does it connect the private and public parts of your identity?
I’m a bit of an anti-social guy. I like being in the middle of nowhere with no worries in the world, no Wi Fi, nothing.
That remoteness is present in the greyscale artwork…
Exactly. I’m in the lake in the middle of nowhere, all alone.
Do you thrive in solitude?
I’m very introverted but I do love being collaborative.
Who did you co-create this project with?
There’s a few producers but no writers. We’ve got Twin, who listens and he knows exactly what I like to hear. We’ve go Chucks and Honeywood, and we got Lovelife as well. I don’t want to miss anyone out but you know who you are.
The lyrics are solely you?
All me.
You’re also in your singing bag on this project?
I’m trying man. We’re getting there. I love having a little sing and there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re starting to change it up and I feel like I’m really starting to find my sound, my pocket and my vibe with this one.
Name a track your fans will be surprised to hear?
Probably ‘Night & Rain’. It’s jersey and I’m coasting different. It’s similar to ‘Single Player’ but it’s a bit more mainstream in the way it’s for the clubs. It’s a new direction, but also one that feels organic.
In what ways have you evolved as an artist and how does that come through on this project?
‘No Signal’ is about growth. I needed it to be better than ‘Never Been Ordinary’, but I didn’t want it to be overworked. It needed it to be a continuous mix, it feels more coherent and whole. I’ve experimented with my sound, my flow and my storytelling.
Can you pinpoint a lyric you feel represents the person you are today?
“Feelin’ antisocial, I’m on single player…” That’s literally me and I ain’t fronting.
On songs like ‘Quiet Kid’ you’re reckoning with the ghosts of your past. It’s a raw moment where you’re quite frank about your mental health. Did the mixtape serve as piece of catharsis? Were you able to process past trauma?
Music has always been that gateway for me. It’s one of the biggest reasons I started music in general; to sort through my trauma and to distract myself from going down the wrong path. I was writing so much, to the point where I was zoning everything else out. I did become numb to my surroundings, but it’s given me the outlet to look back at certain events and process them.
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You’re honest about the the temptations and the pitfalls of criminal activity. Do you have some wisdom or advice you’d impart to young people wanting to break out of that cycle?
It’s about finding your passion. Everyone has a passion; it just takes some people longer to find it than others. I don’t think people take enough of a risk to experiment and pursue it. When you know what it is you want to do, you’ll do everything to make it happen. That path is always going to be better than going down a road that will only bring you misery in the long run. I’m biased but finding music helped me so much. If you can find the feeling that I have for music, then you’re not going to do anything else.
You’re quite vocal about local rap acts from Essex breaking through. Who should we be seeking out?
There are so many man. I don’t know what it is but we’re just pumping out artists, they just need to be seen and they need that platform. You’ve got Slimz who does drill and rap, he does everything actually! We’ve got Young Swizz, who’s another very good rapper doing more strictly drill-related stuff. You’ve got Peewee, he’s honestly one of the most talented people I’ve heard. It’s getting to the point in the UK scene where it isn’t just about London. All these area codes have their own type of thing going on, they’re own take on rap. It’s happening in Essex and we’re finally on the rap.
Final words on the main aspiration of ‘No Signal‘ and this era as a whole?
This is where I am now and it really is a step ahead to ‘Never Been Ordinary’. I want anyone listening to hear that there’s a complete variation of tracks. I haven’t got features on there, not because we didn’t want to. We were just in the zone in the studio and I felt I could add that hook or I could sing that chorus: I could provide the variation in the different sectors of rap myself. This isn’t all hard-hitting stuff, it’s music for a late-night drive.
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Words: Shahzaib Hussain
Photography: Jasmine Engel-Malone
Fashion: Sabrina Soormally
Styling Assistant: Mimi Francis