Photography by Antoine | Interview by Passion DzengaComing out of Bordeaux rather than Paris has shaped $ouley’s music in subtle but important ways. Growing up in a second city, far from the expectations and infrastructure of the capital, he learned early to trust his own instincts and build without permission. Skate spots, bedrooms, video games, and the internet became his classrooms, allowing a sound to form that feels unforced and unconcerned with tradition for tradition’s sake.$ouley’s music draws from a wide emotional and cultural archive—hip-hop and French rap sit alongside Senegalese influences, soul records, video game soundtracks, and the quiet intensity of films like The Wire. Instead of leaning into boom bap or chasing familiar formulas, he moves toward something looser and more future-facing, where feeling leads and genre lines blur.What emerges is an artist driven by intuition and connection: beats that “speak,” visuals shaped through friendship, and live shows that prioritise presence over polish. In this conversation, $ouley reflects on finding his voice outside the spotlight and staying grounded while his world continues to expand.You’re based in Paris now, but you’re originally from Bordeaux. What did it mean to come up in a second city—somewhere that isn’t the capital?Bordeaux is special, but it’s not Paris. It’s not a place where you feel like the industry is waiting for you. If you want to make art there, you have to be strong enough to accept your creativity by yourself first—nobody is going to bring it to you. I grew up in the hood in Bordeaux, and for a long time I was hiding the fact that I even made music.When you say “hiding,” what do you mean?I wasn’t telling people like that. I had my brothers, and they were doing their own thing, and I felt like I had to create my own world. There wasn’t this big city feeling where you can just go somewhere and find a scene instantly. So I kept it private until it started to become real.What was the moment where it started to become real?When I realised people outside my circle were listening. Someone would tell me, “Older people in the city know your name,” or “Somebody’s little brother is a fan.” Then I got invited to perform, and I didn’t even believe it—because I was still figuring myself out. But once you see people really show up, you understand it’s bigger than your bedroom or your phone.With regards to your early influences: family, video games, and building a personal library. What kind of music were you raised on?In the house, it was hip-hop, French rap, US music, and also music from Senegal and Guinea-Bissau like Americo Gomes, because my family is Senegalese. My brothers showed me a lot. My sister too—different things. And I was curious, so I absorbed everything.You also mentioned video games being important.Huge. Video game music helped me build my own library. It’s not just what your family plays—games give you sounds you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. Midnight Club, Gran Turismo, Rockstar games… those soundtracks stayed in my head.Were films part of that education too?Yeah. Old gangster movies, French movies, Disney Channel, The warriors and shows like The Wire. That’s how I discovered Nina Simone. It was like mature music, grown-up music, and it expanded my taste early.From private worlds to publishing music, how did you actually start recording?Skateboarding was a big part of it. I was into Tyler, The Creator and Odd Future, that internet energy. I saw him making music on a MacBook and it made it feel possible. So me and my friends would go downtown and I’d record ideas wherever I could—sometimes even in places like the Apple Store. Before that, I’d already be writing my words down before i even thought about putting it on beats.And then you just started uploading?Exactly. I didn’t overthink it. I uploaded and slowly a small community formed around it. I started on SoundCloud When did you start feeling like you had something to say?It started with writing. I was in private school, but I’m from the hood, so I was seeing different worlds at the same time. I was hearing too much, seeing too much, and it made me want to speak. I did poetry first. Then I started reading my poetry over instrumentals. That’s when I realised I had something—like I wasn’t alone.When did you find your real creative circle?When I met people who had a similar musical education—people who didn’t judge you for doing something new. That’s when studios and sessions started happening more naturally.What’s your writing process now—words first or beat first?Beat first most of the time. Every beat makes me write differently. Sometimes life gives me words first—I write something down, then later a beat matches it. But usually the music speaks to me, and I follow it.Who are the key people around you musically?MH is important—he’s in Paris now but we’re both from Bordeaux. CTP, Deejay Sammy, Gustavio Topman and Yuri Online. We talk music all the time. Then there are people outside France too. I like working across scenes and countries.Do you mess with TTC?Yeah, TTC are legends. They were early with different instrumentals and voice effects in France.Your music is very future-facing. Why did you go that direction instead of classic boom bap?I like new sounds. Artists like Lil B, SGP, Tyler the Creator and the whole internet era showed me you can create a new sound and still be yourself. Hip-hop can have rules—like you have to look a certain way, sound a certain way. Electronic music is more about feeling. I wanted to sound like me. Not like an American version of someone else.What was your first live show like?I was stressed. I couldn’t believe people would pay to see me perform songs I made in such a DIY way. I thought it would be a small crowd, then it was packed. I was nervous and a little too aggressive at first—my friends had to tell me to relax. But now I enjoy it. Now it’s fun.Do you have any pre-show rituals?I check the sound, drink water, listen to my beats. I’m grateful. I close my eyes and just focus.What feels like the next step for you?Travel more, shoot more videos, collaborate more. I have listeners all over the world and I want to meet people in real life, bring the music outside France, and not be afraid of new places.Any dream collaborations?Babyfather would be crazy. And I’d love to do more with people I respect, but timing matters. I want to build real connections, not just chase names.What’s the song that always gets a reaction live?“SUPERFLY (Criminel).” Every time that beat drops, people scream.Why does it have two names?Because in the lyrics I say the way she looks at me is criminal—like she’s sniping me with her eyes. But “Superfly” is the feeling: I’m fly, it’s cinematic, it connects to that movie energy.What’s a more personal record for you?Fever FM is very personal. Songs like “Memory Terio.” And “Party!” too— with the Gran Turismo 4 OST sample. It’s fun but it’s also my real world. Fans told me they played the same game, so it connected deeper than I expected.Your visuals are strong. How do you build that world—covers, videos, the whole language?I have ideas, but it’s also community. I work with friends like Antoine and with people around me. For covers like the Summer Tape artwork, I worked with Julien Marmar—he’s a real artist. For videos, sometimes it’s simple: we see a location, we go, we shoot. We don’t overthink it. When it’s real, people feel it.Can we expect another Summer Tape soon?Maybe later. Right now I want to do something new.Where can people support you?Most of it is on streaming. But I like experimenting with physical drops too—keeping some songs off streaming so the people who really care can find them in a different way.
