Booba says there is no war with Vald
Two days after the narrowly avoided fight with Vald at the La Rochelle festival, Booba returns for the first time to the tensions between the two rappers and their consequences.
The remote duel that Booba and Vald fought on social networks and then on stage, the unprecedented intervention of CRS behind the scenes of the festival to avoid a confrontation between the two rappers, Booba’s carte blanche started at more than midnight, with an hour and a quarter late… The Francofolies de La Rochelle knew that Friday’s rap day would smell like sulphur, but they never imagined that it would take on such proportions. Booba either. Passing through Paris before leaving for Miami, where the 45-year-old rapper lives, he reacts exclusively to this episode which he considers “regrettable for the image of rap” and discusses his relationship with his competitor from Seine-Saint- Denis, fifteen years his junior.
Have you recovered from your emotions?
BOOBA. Which ones? It was a joke for us, we have known much worse. What’s sad is for the people who had to wait for me for almost an hour and a half and because it gives a bad image of rap for nothing. Well, we teased each other on the networks but we weren’t going to do a beating operation at a festival. We came in peace. I traveled with the same people as usual, with the artists from my 92i label. Not with fifty gorillas like him.
Why did Vald come in force?
He doesn’t have the same codes as me. I think he was afraid that I would do something to him, but there is no reason. With Vald, I don’t care, I’m teasing, it’s not a real war. And we don’t fight in the same category. He wanted to make a show of force, to prevent Booba from singing, but he failed. The public was there, it was full, it didn’t manage to spoil the party. And he had to wait until we finished the show to get back to his bus. He was ridiculous.
How did the young artists on your label experience these tensions?
We are tough! It raised the buzz, motivated everyone and we had an exceptional concert. As if we had a revenge to take. Me, don’t provoke me. I’m good at provocation, when people put me in danger, I love it. I am a competitor, it gives me extra rage, I become a super warrior and it shows on stage.
Why did you wait so long to come?
We waited for the “go” of the festival, for security reasons. If we went there, if we passed each other, it was a general brawl. But we preferred to avoid. If there is a fight, I don’t sing, I lose my money and I go to prison (the rapper has been on probation since his fight at Orly with Kaaris ) . The calculation is quickly done. And I’m not going to fight for Vald. He’s not my sworn enemy, not like when I met Kaaris. There is no story, there is no war with Vald.
But why did you start “tickling” him in February?
I attacked him on his album sales, because he had made a first week at 74,000 sales without a song in the top 10. I’m in the profession, I didn’t understand, I was looking for explanations. He should be the king of French rap with such sales, why isn’t he headlining? It wasn’t bad bad, but it went up in mayonnaise. With Vald, we know each other, we met, we had to work together before the clashes. I don’t like everything he does, but I recognize that he has talent, that he writes very well.
But why are you so often in the clash? Aren’t you looking for trouble?
People think what they want. I always admit when I’m wrong. When I fought at Orly and went to prison, I assumed, I did not cry. But titillating themselves on Instagram, politicians do it all the time and they are not looking for a fight. I may be provocative, but is that a reason to come with fifty two-meter guys to try to screw up a festival? Imagine that Vald had our concert canceled. He would have had a lawsuit, requests for refunds. What had he to gain?
You posted a message on Saturday asking him for a refund. Really ?
Sure ! He hurt us, hurt our image, he made people wait, the mother of one of my fans got slapped by one of his mechanics… I think his phone is going to ring. You can’t arrive at a festival and make such a show of force, with people coming to look for shit, there will inevitably be repercussions. In the meantime, he has grilled himself well in the street and in the middle of the music.