They arrived like a meteor on the Nigerien Hip Hop scene 10 years ago, but now it has been almost a year since they disappeared from the scene.

Created on January 22, 2000, the group consists of three members: Lamine Sidibé known as L.S., Aurlus Ousmane, known as Lus D, and Yassinte Désiré, known as Yas D.



FOFO: What drew you to rap?



METAPHORE: We chose to rap because we were passionate about it. When we started off, we were just a young group of friends. In 1998 and 1999, we covered songs by American rappers and others. After that, we decided to write our own rhymes. The very first song we wrote was Stop à la guerre (Stop War) in 1999. Our first piece on the airwaves was Je pense dans ma guérilla (I Lead an Introspective Struggle) in 2002 with the compilation Niger Rapo.



FOFO: Talk to us about your album.



METAPHORE: We released our first album of 14 tracks, Plus de Foi (More than Faith) in 2009. Our lyrics talk about our realities, namely bad governance, hope, peace, solutions to socio-economic problems, etc. Métaphore Crew has a sizable following beyond the borders of Niger. People outside of the country listen to our work, especially the song Lagaza, which features the rapper, Français Lyricson, from the group Assassin. This title was put together in July 2003 during the Royal Hip Hop Reggae Festival.



FOFO: Have you already been produced outside of Niger?



METAPHORE: At the moment, we are working on some projects that will allow us to participate in some international festivals, but we have never represented our country overseas. This is due to the realities in Niger. We have been trying to perform internationally for several years, but up to now, there has been no real way to promote Nigerien artists overseas.



FOFO: You've been involved in the Nigerien Hip Hop movement for more than ten years now. What do you think about it's evolution?



METAPHORE: Nigerien Hip Hop is declining. Not in terms of quality, but in terms of production. The problem is that the artists are being stretched thin, they are not supported in any way. We, the artists, have to do everything: compose lyrics, practice, and record our work. It shouldn't be up to us to think about how to find money for whatever. There is usually a system for that. In Niger, we also have a real problem with studios and visual production companies. A real studio is capable of producing sounds that meet international standards. We have not reached our full potential because there are no good studios that can do this. The sound engineers we have here are limited in what they can do, they have all been loosely trained while theirs is a line of work that requires study. Artists also need promoters who can sell Nigerien music overseas. We need promoters capable of organizing tours with artists. We don't agree with what some say about rappers not working hard, not at all. It's that they don't have the right conditions for doing a good job. This is what really slows down the Hip Hop movement. When we got into it, Hip Hop was at it's peak. It had a solid base and you could feel the energy. This is what encouraged us to work hard to get noticed.



FOFO: What projects are you working on?



METAPHORE: We would like to put together a second album and participate in some international festivals as well as tours. We would also like to be produced by a well-known international record company.



FOFO: Scène Ouverte Rap was a stepping stone for you. What do you think about the development of this competition?



METAPHORE: We participated in the very first annual Scène Ouverte Rap competition in 2004 where we took third place. In years past, this competition took place over 3 days for the selection, semi-finals, and finals. But for the past several years, everything has been cut back to one evening. We really don't understand this. Before, the Scène Ouverte Rap competition was used as a reference point for all other work. The halls were full, but as you can see today, despite having reduced the entry fee to 300 CFA, there is almost no one. The organizers should meet with rappers to save this competition. They should also think about new themes rather than always promoting institutional ones. Of course, organizations are the ones who finance the competition, but it's necessary to give artists free choice.



FOFO: Any final words?



METAPHORE: We'd like to call on our fellow rappers to work hard and never get discouraged even though Hip Hop has a bad reputation in Niger. People continue to think that rappers are delinquents, and that's a shame. We need to work turn this image around.



Traduction: Irene Waggener



Wednesday, July 20, 2011

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