BBC Sound of Prize winner 2019 and model for Virgil Abloh, London rapper Octavian, who counts Drake among his supporters, continues his irresistible ascent by increasing outings and collaborations. Portrait of an artist who returns from afar.

At the age of 23, Octavian already has several lives behind him. Born in Lille but raised in London from the age of three, he retains from his dual nationality a taste for exchange and a deep European feeling. Before becoming the most exciting young hopeful of British hip-hop, Octavian experienced poverty and the streets - he was homeless in the darkest period of his life. From one extreme to the other, he also studied at the prestigious BRIT School, a very select art school (FKA Twigs, Amy Winehouse, King Krule and Kate Tempest attended it) for which he obtained a scholarship to deserved. &ldquo; I always wanted success, he admits. I started making music when I was 18 years old. I devoted myself to it thoroughly, I put all my passion, all my energy, all my ambition into it. By working hard, I gained confidence and improved. I believe that if you are sufficiently motivated, you can learn everything by yourself. &quot;

RENEWAL IN THE HIP-HOP

In 2017, he took his first steps by unveiling two EPs with his crew from the Essie Gang. The tsunami begins one fine morning in January 2018 when <a href="https://www.instagram.com/octavianessie/?hl=fr" target="_blank">Octavian</a> turns on his phone. During the night, Drake posted a video on Instagram where he is seen singing an Octavian song, Party Here , during a Golden Globes party . Thanks to this unexpected spotlight, Octavian becomes the new discovery that drives the rap world crazy. His first two mixtapes, Spaceman (2018) and Endorphins (2019) bring a breath of fresh air in English hip-hop, by merging grime, R&amp;B and house. In January 2019, he won the BBC Sound prize which rewards the most promising musical talents (before him, Michael Kiwanuka, Sam Smith, Adele and even Mika were laureates). The Londoner continues to ride this wave of new projects: &ldquo; I plan to release an album next spring and, before that, a few singles with my friends from the Essie Gang. We grew up together in South East London. This is also where the name Essie comes from, like SE (initials to pronounce in English, editor&#39;s note). &quot;

At the same time, Octavian works closely with the fashion world. We have seen him parade several times for Louis Vuitton at the request of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/virgilabloh/?hl=fr" target="_blank">Virgil Abloh</a> . The designer even contributed to the aesthetics of the cover of his first mixtape, Spaceman. &quot; When I was a teenager, my fashion icons were rappers like A $ AP Rocky, Skepta, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams,&quot; says Octavian. They have been huge sources of inspiration in terms of look. I started modeling very early because I was really poor and I was trying to find small jobs to make money. From there, I went to Louis Vuitton! My very first parade for Virgil Abloh was quite surreal: it was at the Louvre and in the audience there were Kanye West and A $ AP Rocky, two of my idols .&rdquo; To go further and launch his own brand, he is preparing with a friend his first line of clothing, which he says was inspired by his latest mixtape, Endorphins .

He may attend the summits and align the gold-plated collaborations (with Diplo, Skepta, Mura Masa, Theophilus London ...), Octavian does not let success go to his head. &ldquo; When I&#39;m not on tour or in the studio, I have a simple life. I love to play with my dog! I hang out with my friends. Maybe when I am old, I will have a nice retro car, a house worthy of the name and a collection of weapons, but not to use it on human beings [sic], just to practice by targeting targets .&rdquo; He remains convinced that this simplicity must be preserved at all costs, using his heroes as a model. &ldquo; I learned a lot from Skepta, working with him, but also by observing his evolution, his journey, his style of clothing and the fact that he always remains true to himself. The first time I met him, I immediately recognized him as the person you hear in his music. Keeping good karma is essential. This is something I also realized alongside Drake or Virgil Abloh: the nicer you are, the more your career will go. If you are infected and you happen to be professionally unhappy, nobody will come to your aid and your fall will be endless, while kindness calls for mutual help in case of problems and respect. &rdquo; Far from the macho and bling-bling clich&eacute;s, Octavian shows a singular personality in the rap world.

Endorphins and Spaceman (Black Butter Limited) mixtapes available. 
New album in 2020.

Octavian: "Teen, my fashion icons were A $ AP Rocky, Skepta and Pharrell"

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