Cette entrevue était originalement réalisé en Français.
L’original en Français est disponible ici.
Kinji00 is a rising star in the Québécois underground rap scene. His single “Fleur de Lys”, an unabashed rally of Québécois pride, did rounds on social media, exposing a whole new audience to the movement of Québécois independence through trap beats and Franglais rhymes. After his electric Montréal performance in Parc LaFontaine, LCD spoke with him to discover what it truly means to be Québécois.
Photos by endless reach visuals | @_erv____
From LCD Magazine Issue 3
Kinji, how’s it going?
It’s going good! And you guys?
It’s going good, thanks!
I’m here with LCD Magazine! Shows his magazine to the camera
What’s your favourite thing about being Québécois?
Yo, it’s the Québécois culture. Being able to make Francophone music, being able to know all these people who speak French. For me, that’s what makes me proud to be Québécois.
You said in an interview with 24heures.ca that “Being Québécois, it’s a choice of the heart, it’s choosing a certain way of life!” What is this Québécois “way of life”?
For me, the Québécois way of life is like, accepting everyone in your culture, you feel me? It’s like, you take in the culture of others, and in return give them yours. As an example, in Montreal, there’s many people from all different parts of the world. It’s a certain way of life, you feel? You learn from others –
You learn from others, and then implement that into your own life?
Exactly.
You also said in that interview that you come from Portugal. What inspires you about the Québécois identity as someone who was not born here?
I was born in Portugal, but my father comes from Gatineau – from Québec.
Your father comes from Québec?
Yeah, yeah, that’s it. It’s like, I was born in Portugal, but I didn’t stay there very long. Even though like, I was encountering Québécois culture alongside my mom, all the rest of my family lives in Portugal. But I’ve lived my whole life in Québec, is what i’m trying to say. I was born in Portugal, but I still come from here.
So you think it’s possible for someone who was not born here to adapt culturally – to “Become Québécois”?
Yeah – to me, being Québecois is not about being born here. Even me, I wasn’t born here. But being Québécois is really a choice. It’s about accepting others, and yourself.
Accepting others, and also yourself – that’s “being Québécois”?
Exactly. Accepting others and yourself.
We watched one of your music videos today, and there’s a clip – you’re next to some graffiti – it says something along the lines of “Québec is a country for everyone.” You agree with that? That Québec could be a country for everyone?
To me, Québec is for everyone. I mean, Québec is literally built on immigration. You can’t say “being Québécois” is having 10 generations of family from here, cause even your ancestors we’re originally from Québec.
What are your thoughts on Québécois independence? Do you think your opinions are similar or different to other young people in Québec?
I think that before, being separatist, it was a message for white people. Me, my sovereignist vision is for everyone. Right now, I think that young people who are separatists are much more open-minded to letting others in. I want to see everyone join the party. My separatist vision: we want to see Québec become a country because we feel we do not have much in common with the rest of Canada. It’s because of this that I think we’d be capable of becoming a country that is stronger, and building something together.
Something new, not Canadian, nor like a province, but a country that is accepting of everybody within the Québécois culture?
Yes, that’s it. But Québécois culture is just a bunch of cultures together.
Do you think that a Québécois revolution is coming in the future?
Yes because we saw it today. We saw how many people were here celebrating Québec. Me, I think it might not come right away, but in a few years we’ll continue to build our movement. It’s very close.
We love the visual universe that accompanies your music. Do you make your own visuals, or do you have someone who makes them for you?
It depends. The cover for the mixtape, à la prochaine fois, it’s a guy from Montréal who made that, Saan. My shirt here was LB66 and Saan. LB is my brother.
LB come here! The designs aren’t made just by us, but everyone comes from here.
LB: Yeah his name’s Standsaan, shoutout!
Who are your biggest artistic inspirations, visual or musical (French or not)?
Kinji: So, Bladee –
*Cheers* We love Bladee.
Kinji: Me, I’m a big drainer like you. Also, like, Osquinn, Jeune Loup, Mike Shabb, Rowjay. Do you know D0llywood1?
LB: It’s like digicore, Osquinn, Midwxst. All of the Soundcloud underground, and hyperpop wave. Feardorian.
Kinji: And guys like Serane, the homie. We’re very inspired by them too.
What pushed you to make your music?
Kinji: No cap, it was just meant to be. What really pushed me is like, having the desire to make music. LB made beats for a long time. He already did music production, so it was just easy. Nothing really pushed me. It’s just fun.
In British Columbia, there’s a French Immersion program. It’s encouraged to sign kids up to the program so they can understand the other official language of Canada. What do you think of people who learn French in school, but who don’t speak it in their everyday lives?
Kinji: I have a lot of respect for them. If you have the drive to learn other languages, it’s respect. Me, I speak English, but I think that the people who speak English should also learn French, you feel? Like, I have respect for everyone who learns French.
LB: Everybody who tries to speak french. Respect. Shoutout to you. For real.
On the subject of language, what slang words are essential in Quebec?
Kinji: Yo, ight ight. Saisi, Tabarnak, Calice, Crisse, what else?
The first one, Saisi, what does that mean?
Ok, fuck, let’s say some big person reposted you, you would be “saisi”.
Like “Gassed up?”
Yeah, yeah.
Have you ever visited Vancouver? Do you envision yourself performing in a city thats primarily anglophone?
Me, I don’t want to discriminate. I want to go everywhere. But like, I’ve never been to British Columbia. In a few months we’re going to do a show in Vermont. We don’t want to just stay in Quebec – we want to go everywhere.
How‘s our French?
Perfect. Yo, you put in the effort, so I respect it. So, I wouldn’t say that your french is bad. No, no, if you put in the effort to speak French, I’m happy, you feel?
What do you want young people to take away from your art?
Me I hope that after listening to my music, it opens up your spirit to love where you come from and embrace your own culture. Be yourself.
Is there something that you’d like people to know about Kinji?
Yo, I’m just a normal guy who makes music for fun. Like, I don’t want people to treat me differently, treat me like I’m not normal, you feel me? Like, that’s it.
@Kinji00 & @LB66 on Instagram.
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