Joey Le Soldat BTTR

Back To The Roots Pictures © Anne Mimault , Artwork: RasFaya

New Album - Back To The Roots

- Released: 25 November 2022 -

Back to the Roots or the return to the sources of one of the most exciting and passionate rappers on the African continent.

After 3 years of absence, the Burkinabè rapper Joey Le Soldat is back with a new album tailor-made for the stages.

A saying in Mooré, the language spoken in Burkina, says that "to know where you are going, you must first remember where you come from."

In this 14-track album, Joey Le Soldat is surrounded by talented musicians from all over the world and he immerses us in his 80s color rap universe with his sharp flow and hard-hitting melodies.

The rapper talks to us about this world in full chaos and notes the degraded security situation in his country Burkina Faso.

He questions the past to find answers for the future.

Recorded and designed in Ouagadougou, a first for Joey, on beats from various backgrounds (N.Y, Paris, Le Havre & Dubai), mixed and mastered by Uncle Phil in Gironde, this album serves us with a diversity of sounds, a journey in 80s rap, Afro beat and electro rap.

THE BEATMAKERS:

OJI Edutainment: Following a freestyle posted on Instagram, Joey the soldier met this American beatmaker who captivated him with his mixes of samples and 80s BAP boom.
Mad Rey: Parisian Beatmaker, currently signed to the edbanger label; he did the productions for Joey's previous album “FAASO
Napoleon Da Legend: The Brooklyn beatmaker and rapper and Joey Le Soldat enjoyed working together so much that they share two tracks on this album. Two productions signed Napoleon Da Legend.

THE FEATURES:

Charles X: After sharing stages in Bordeaux, it was natural for the two M.C.s to get together on a prod signed by Joey's Parisian DJ, DJ Jah Tovo.
Napoleon Da Legend: This prolific artist, shared two tracks with great commitment and passion for this collaboration.
Francky Sopra & Dreadlam Fallou: Ouagalais MC Francky Sopra and Bamako reggaemaker Dreadlam Fallou are part of Joey's army of soldiers.
100Kara & Mo’az: Respectively outta groups OBC and La Censure, they are part of the first generation of MCs in Faso who inspired Joey on the path of Rap.















Biography

Grandson of a skirmisher, Joey Le Soldat only has a military name. He grew up in an 80s rap universe and began to put his frustrations and dreams down in his college notebooks, then to rap with his first “phenomène” (means phenomenal) group in his Tanghin district in sect 23 of Ouagadougou.



There are a lot of underground bands in Ouagadougou: in the low neighborhoods, young people take the microphone to feel free.

2009 - 2010

He graduates in Modern Letters at the University of Ouagadougou, and wins the improvised clash rap battle at the Waga Hip Hop Festival. He organizes sound systems on the squares of his neighborhood. To survive he works as a gardener, and gives evening classes to the children of his neighborhood.

2009

2012 - 2013

He signs to the label Tentacule Records and releases his first album “La Parole est mon Arme” (“The Word is My Weapon”), setting the tone for his musical adventures.
He founds the band WAGA 3000 with French beatmaker Dj Form and Burkinabe rapper Art Melody. Over retro-futuristic beats, the two MCs reprimand the terror imposed by African military regimes and powerfully describe the extreme poverty of the districts of the Ouagadougou capital. The album is hailed by international critics. WAGA 3000 plays in Europe and opens for the rapper CASEY and American hip hop outfit, DAS EFX. In October 2013, he is filmed for the documentary “Segtaab Rap (Au Pays des Hommes Intègre)”.

2013

2014

They said, Soldat, you want to be a star? You have to rap in French or English... So should I forget where I’m from?
This is how Joey Le Soldat introduces his second album “Burkin Bâ” in 2014.
Stylistically the album evokes Roots Manuva and the Ninja Tune label. Tracks such as "L'Hivernage" and the song "Burkin Bâ" become much sought after in France and Burkina Faso, with a growing fan base among the Burkinabe youth culture, and radio play on local Burkinabe stations, BBC Radio, and more support from Mondomix (Album of the Month), France Inter (Enchanted Africa), and RFI (Radio France Internationale). The album is mastered by Dave Cooley, the man behind the sound of the Stones Throw label (J Dilla, Madlib, Mf Doom...).
Joey Le Soldat is invited by Sandra Nkaké on the television program Plus d'Afrique on Canal +. The album is played on RFI for two months, endorsed by journalist Claudy Siar. Joey le Soldat is runner up in the RFI Jeunes Talents competition, and is nominated for the Burkina Faso Awards in Best Hip Hop category, and stars at the Waga Hip Hop Festival. In Europe he plays in France, Germany and Italy, accompanied on the decks by Jah Tovo.

On 30 October 2014, Burkina Faso is shaken by a formidable popular uprising that forces President Blaise Campaoré to flee the country. At the call of the Balai Citoyen movement, and inspired by the memory of Thomas Sankara and the journalist Norbert Zongo, Joey Le Soldat takes to the streets with the Burkinabe youth, part of the "Second Revolution”, reversing the grip of a regime in power for the past 27 years!

 


Joey Le Soldat concocts formulas that make sense. Highly modern, verging on electro, the sounds support the powerful flow of Le Soldat in the service of his country’s youth. RFI - Radio France Internationale
Joey Le Soldat advances from the front, unleashing over powerful music his visionary lyrics, true weapons of mass construction. - MONDOMIX
Percussive rhymes, an undeniable verve, a beautifully deep voice and a real sense of graceful form. JEUNE AFRIQUE magazine
Wonderful piece of music […] the word that comes to mind here is atmospheric, it's just beautiful. BBC RADIO
One of the [...] strongest electro-tinged hip-hop cuts you’ll hear all year. THE GUARDIAN
2014

2015

Joey le Soldat’s popularity rises in Burkina Faso. On 20 September 2015 at a concert held at the "Place de la Révolution" in Ouagadougou, thousands of Burkinabe residents come to support the rapper.
Joey becomes an ambassador of the March against Monsanto in his country. The title "L'Hivernage" (see the video) symbolizes the struggle against the American giant. He collaborates with the label Akwaaba Music and forms the electro band Jomaaga with the Belgian beatmaker Max le Daron. He spends a few months in Ghana.

On November 17 2015, a coup attempt by General Diendéré plunges the country into terror. Again, “la Résistance des Hommes Intègres” repels oppression. A few days’ following the attempted coup, Joey Le Soldat releases the title "Jeudi Noir," offered as a pamphlet of resistance against the "the stupidest coup in the world."

2015

2016

In January 2016, Joey participates in the Swedish documentary “FONKO” which portrays the rising stars of the African electro hip hop scene. In March 2016, he sponsors the first Africa Bass Festival in Ouagadougou, and in September performs on stage at the biggest African electro festival ever: the Nyege Nyege Festival (Uganda). He releases the title "TRAVELL" accompanied by a video shot in the ghettoes of Kampala, Uganda. David Bolt plays the track on Nova's Grand Mix. (see the video)
In December 2016 he plays at the Transmusicales de Rennes, and conquers another massive audience.

2016

2017

In 2017 he released his album "Barka" which places him on major festivals such as the Francopholies de la Rochelle, the fiesta du sud, mama festival and convention.

This album ends the adventure within Tentacule Records


2017

2019

In 2019 he co-signed alongside Mad Rey the Ep “FAASO”.


2019

2022

On November 25th 2022, after almost two years in the studio at La Grande Maison (Ouagadougou), he released his album “Back to the roots”. Produced by its own label SodasMuzik, distributed by inouie on all online platforms.

2022


Videoclips




La Grande Maison inouie SodasMuzik
PAN AFRICAN MUSIC SACEM SPEDIDAM
CNV   FCM