At only 8 years old, Brussels rapper Yanis MC Rafale released his first rap video – a love letter to his hometown.
The Francophone child rapper from Schaerbeek has been attracting attention due to his passion for rap music at such a young age, BX1 reports.
Last week, he released his song and tribute to the Belgian capital, Bruxelles Ma Ville, which is also the name of the emblematic chant by supporters of the Brussels football club Union Saint-Gilloise.
With a 2000s-style rap beat, the song celebrates life in his municipality and Brussels.
In the video, the young prodigy is filmed rapping along to lyrics such as "Brussels my city, Schaerbeek my team" in various urban settings in his neighbourhood, reminiscent of traditional rap videos.
Dressed in a bucket hat, gold chain and hoodie, Young Yanis can be seen making signature rap gestures and symbols – mimicking his rapping heroes. In some shots, he is accompanied by his 'crew' of fellow 8-year-olds.
While his young age provides a lighter touch to the video, his lyrics carry a strong anti-racist message, which reflects the urban and multicultural fabric of the Brussels municipality:
"Here, everyone is together. There's no racism," he told BX1.
Still from 8-year-old Brussels rapper Yanis MC Rafale's Bruxelles Ma Ville
Yanis has started writing his own raps, finding inspiration from his rap heroes – but also urban life on the streets of Brussels and Schaerbeek.
He name-checks his Moroccan, Turkish, Polish and Macedonian neighbours, saying there is "no gloominess" on the streets of Brussels.
So what is behind this young rapper’s story? He got into rap at a very early age, thanks to the influences of his family, who are all massive rap fans.
"When we listened to music, my brother, my cousin and I, he liked to come and listen," his father Hakim said.
"One day, to make him happy, I put on [Belgian 90s rapper] Benny B's song, Mais vous êtes fous!. He opened his eyes and said: That's what I want to do."
His Aunt Saida further explained that his father, brother, uncles and relatives are all "immersed" in rap music and socialise with people from the same background. "It's just a logical progression, really," she told BX1.
This light-hearted clip shows that rap remains a strong form of cultural expression in inner city areas.
While rap has fallen out of the US Top 40 for the first time in 35 years last month, Yanis MC Rafale may be a sign that the record-breaking music genre may not be quite done just yet.
