On the program for this musical evening rich in “beat” and “scratching”: Split, Tana Trape Tate and the headliner… Toniø.
Aged 27, the young rapper from Fernelmont came to promote his first album 97 (Editor's note: his year of birth) in front of a visibly won over audience. After starting a solo career last February, Toniø now has two opuses with trap, hip-hop and even electro sounds with, among others, the title DSTNY. He will be in concert again, on April 12, during the Squat Festival at Cinex. Interview with this emerging artist on the Namur scene.
Toniø, how does it feel to play at Belvédère?
It's an accomplishment to come here, because it's an emblematic venue for the Namur scene. Here, I came to watch the concerts of La Smala, Caballero & JeanJass and many other artists that I listened to when I was younger.
When did your passion for rap begin?
My taste for rap began during my adolescence, when I listened to the same songs as my older brother. Over time, I listened to more and more rap, and felt the desire to write myself. In 2015, I recorded a first title and then a few freestyle pieces (Editor's note: improvised verses, with or without musical rhythms). Four years later, I progressed by working with DJ producer Acra. After releasing a first joint album (Editor's note: EP Prisme in 2021), I went solo.
If we had to remember only one memory on stage?
I would say the scene that took place during the Wallonia Festival, next to the Cinex, in the Arsouilles district. At the initiative of the non-profit organization ExerGo, rappers were invited to do their set there. I think it was the most important event for me.
What are the difficulties you encounter at the start of your career?
Difficulties are the barriers we put on ourselves. In music, you have to move, have contacts and the strength of character to push your limits. But its challenges are no longer the same for me now, because I have the chance to produce my music at home and to work with people from Marseille.
