On the road to success, Memphis Depay is not content with top corner goals. The 26-year-old Dutchman shines with OL as with the selection of the Netherlands. But, for about three years, he willingly extricated himself far from the lawns on an even more slippery ground for a high level athlete, that of music.
An artist-footballer is not that common. In France, the only big name in sport who has tried the art of rap is called Tony Parker. In 2007, the best basketball player in the history of France dared to release an album, which caused as much personal satisfaction as it did mockery from the public.
Football and rap often go side by side, respecting each other but without mixing. Memphis Depay has so far achieved the performance of a great career with his feet. Just like it seems on the way to honorable success on musical platforms. “When I saw that Depay was launching into music, I told myself that I would have a hard time taking him seriously,” says Fif Tobossi, co-founder of the site specialized in rap and urban cultures, Booska-P. A footballer who sings is often bad. But, listening, I thought it was cool. What is interesting is its seriousness. It is not a whim. If we don’t tell you it’s him, I’m like, OK he’s a real artist. There is a lot of technique. He seems passionate about his thing. “
“Memphis really likes it”
On YouTube, Memphis Depay first appeared in 2017 with a Dutch-language rapped track titled “LA Vibes”. Accompanied by his friend Quincy Promes, also an international Oranje (46 caps), the striker trained at PSV Eindhoven releases a first freestyle and formalizes his musical ambitions. Months pass and he starts to make a name for himself (his own, not a nickname) in rap from the Netherlands. He then meets Rass King, a producer from Rotterdam, which allows him to take new steps.
“The way Memphis thinks about his music, the way he writes it, it really surprised me,” Rass King confided in early December to the So Foot site. He really likes it. Above all, he doesn’t really have time to progress as an artist with his schedule, the matches… And, yet, he managed to do it. “In 2019, Memphis unveiled its two most important successes: the tracks” No Love “, a musical sound inspired by what artists like Drake master, and” Fall Back “, a very rap song in English, from which the clip borrows codes of the environment, as evidenced by the signs of wealth (sedans, private jet).
Le clip « Fall Back »
On YouTube, the two videos have accumulated more than 20 million views in one year. Very honorable results for an “amateur”. “It’s huge as a total, analyzes Fif Tobossi. These are real numbers, he doesn’t buy his views. I can’t compare it, but it’s already a great course. “
“A first sound, a clip, an EP … in three years”
At the end of November, Memphis took a further step with the release of an EP (extended play), a 9-track project, in which he pays tribute to Ghana, his father’s country, and talks about his success. “A first sound, a clip, an EP… all in three years. I find it good that he does things within the rules, unpretentious, says Fif Tobossi. It is also a proof of humility. If we think about his punching power, a lot of guys would have benefited from it. “
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“We walk by faith and not by sight,” says the biblical verse “2 Corinthians 5: 7”, the name of the flagship song of the EP. Memphis Depay moves forward step by step with passion, without ambition. From the London scene to the great American (50 Cent, The Game) or African (Burna Boy) references, the OL scorer is inspired by the best by adding his lion’s paw (his favorite animal, tattooed on the back). All while continuing to best influence kids football fans, at his home in Rotterdam.
