Nearly 15 years after he took his first musical steps, producer High Klassified presents us with his debut album, the delightful and (very) eclectic Ravaru.
“It’s a reflection of the music I listen to, and right now I barely listen to instrumental music anymore,” says the proud Laval resident about his album – whose title is a loose Japanese translation of “Laval.” The album is entirely Francophone, with guest artists from Québec, France, Switzerland, and Belgium.
Except for “LomeLaval,” where he circles back to his signature dark hip-hop beats and complex rhythms, this project sees him exploring new territory – like Arabic music (“Honeymoon”), nu-disco (“Besoin d’amour”), and American R&B (“Lifestyle,” “ Mixed Feelings”). “I’ve been listening to a lot of R&B for many years, like Lucky Daye, Sailorr, and I’m still obsessed by The Internet,” says High Klassified. “That’s where the afropunk influence on “Rouge Blanc” came from.”
The song is a hard-hitting duet with Hubert Lenoir that sounds like nothing else made in Québec. Its edgy rock undertones give it an unconventional colour. “I’m really happy with that song,” says the producer. “It took me out of my comfort zone. I didn’t want to put it on the album, initially, because I was convinced people couldn’t stomach it.”
The chemistry between the two musicians, who have very different musical backgrounds and styles, is palpable. This collaboration follows up their work together on “Octembre” and “Dimanche Soir” from Lenoir’s last album. “Hubert is a huge rap fan,” says High Klassified, “but I think what truly unites us is humour. We’re both guys with a very deep sense of sarcasm, and it’s actually funny when we get together. We’re also very transparent with each other.”
Three of the seven songs on Ravaru were created during song camps hosted by SOCAN: “Honeymoon,” with Swiss female rapper Chilla; “Lifestyle,” with French-Cameroonian rapper Tuerie; and “Besoin D’amour,” with Parisian singer Tsew the Kid, and young sensation Dau – who broke out on Nouvelle école, the popular French rap reality show. “It’s nuts, ’cause I’d always refused to go to writing camps,” says Klassified. “I felt like they were beats factories… But to be honest, I’d never really tried,” admits the beat-maker. “I usually work from home, and when I collaborate, it’s usually with my bros, my friends, and people I’m comfortable with. I’m very guarded with my emotions, so imagine if I ended up in a session with people that have bad energy!”
Select the image to access the YouTube video of the High Klassified song “Rouge Blanc”
But in the end, these experiences went well, and the producer even reveals that he changed his approach to songwriting after these sessions. “When you look at any of my projects before Ravaru, you’ll see they’re 100% produced by me,” he says. “With this one, though, it’s almost like a Kanye album where you can have two or three producers on a single beat, so the list of credits is long… It’s crucial to work with others if you want to have a new sound. It broadened my horizons.”
Among those “others” who had an impact on his artistic path were Belgian superstars Damso and Hamza, with whom he recently collaborated. Now more than ever, the artist wants to develop the European market more than the American rap one, despite the U.S. opening its doors to him in 2018 with the release of “Comin’ Out Strong,” a international hit song he produced for The Weeknd and Future. Sadly, High Klassified wasn’t allowed to travel to the U.S. at the time, after being banished from entering for five years following several round trips without a work visa. “If I’m going to work with an artist, I need to be in the studio with them,” he says. “I don’t do type beats [tailor-made compositions] for artists. I’m at peace with that and it s fine.
“I’m not a jealous guy and I’m not a competitive guy. I’m just happy with what I’ve got,” he says. “I think I’m exactly where I deserve to be. I mean… I’m not the biggest studio rat, who gets up early to go to work. I’m a dude who plays videogames, goes to the gym, to the restaurant, to the clubs. There are a lot of people who deserve to be even further than me.”
Very few have actually made it, though.