“Music is a vice rather than a self-proclaimed statement. I love doing it, and I’m grateful that I’m able to do it,” – In Talks With Janset

Musicians who use their cultural background as a tool for creating art, are masters at establishing a very distinct presence among their core audience, and that is exactly the case with Turkish-Circassian rising Rap sensation, Janset. Her ability to uniquely entwine her native tongue into the charged-up bars and unconventional sonics applied to the music she makes, highlights the diverse nature of her talent. It’s no doubt that Janse’ts listeners are intrigued to know how she has acquired these skills, so here’s what she had to say to MM when we caught up with her, for an In Talks.

Could you tell me how you feel your year in music has been so far?

Are we including the whole COVID situation in this question as well?

Go for it!

Well yeah, considering the kind of pandemic we’ve been going through, I think the  Redbull project has been an area that I could just focus on, so it’s been really good because there’s a lot that we’ve had to do and get sorted.

With regards to Redbull, is that where you’re signed to?

Redbull is who I collaborated with for one single.

You released ‘Oh Yes!’ and there’s a specific phrase you used which translates to “of course it will happen/become real,” – where did you draw inspiration for its use?

It’s basically related to manifesting the things that you want to focus on in life. Focusing on the right stuff and knowing that what you wish for or want will eventually come true. Hopefully, it will inspire other people the way I got inspired to focus on my own things. العاب كازينو

Do you believe in manifestation, and would you say it’s linked to that?

Yeah definitely, I believe we create our own realities and that can vary for different people of course, but for me – myself – I just kind of focus on the things I want to change or want to do, and usually they just fall into place.

Can you tell me about your cultural background, and how that has influenced your sound as an artist?

Originally, my family are from a place called Circassia which is a region in the South of Russia, and its basically just mountains. It’s a very different culture and different place. 

Similar to Balkan culture?

Yeah, there are similarities there! It’s actually one of those regions of the world where one of the biggest genocides happened, and a lot of people got exiled out of that country into Turkey or Morocco and other places. My family grew up in Turkey but they’re originally Circassian. I was born here, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve connected more to the Turkish side and connected it into my music in a way that nobody has done – well nothing I’ve heard in London – so I’ve been trying to just have fun with that, and experimenting to see what I can write and create. That’s how Oh Yes! came about as well!

Would you say there are any artists you take inspiration from when making your music? مواقع الرهان على المباريات

I know that’s a question people love to ask, but I don’t think I’m influenced that much by other artists you know! I’m influenced by, for example, book authors, music that people wouldn’t expect me to listen to; I’m influenced by the experiences that I’ve been through in my life, and I think that’s what I try and put into my music I guess.

So, for you, it’s more about your reality than general pop culture when it comes to being influenced?

Yeah exactly, but also not seeing music as an egotistical thing but more of as a tool to get through life and help others to do the same thing. Music is a vice rather than a self-proclaimed statement. I love doing it, and I’m grateful that I’m able to do it.

Seeing as you’ve been on a hot streak with releasing singles, can your listeners expect a project or EP on the way anytime soon?

Yes, they certainly can! I can’t say much about it right now, but there is an EP on the way that’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be one to look out for and something to look forward to.

Are there are any UK or international musicians you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

Definitely. UK wise I’d like to do a tune with Onoe Caponoe, he’s one of my favourite rappers of all time and someone that’s really showed me respect and helped me out when I’ve needed a few gigs. He’s someone on my list where eventually we’ll make an amazing track. الكازينو في السعوديه Internationally, I want to work with a few producers like Dan the Automator, who’s made some amazing tracks in the past and worked with people like the Gorillaz. I’d really love to make it a thing where the rap world can combine with their world.

Finally, would you like to give some words on the kind of impact you’re trying to have with the music that you’re making?

Yeah, I guess as I said before life without music wouldn’t really be much of a life. So, knowing that, I think we should be making music that would affect people’s lives and make them think in a certain way whether that’s through humour; because Grime can have a lot of that for example – like a few humorous bars where some people might see it as aggressive, and others would see it as passionate or whatever. I’m just trying to make music that is passionate, and that people can relate to, or remember something that they can apply to their lives; something that just sticks out and not worry about what anyone else is doing. Have my own style, own flow; it’s taken a long time to get there but now I’m at that point where it has a meaning behind it, and I’m not just doing it for the sake of doing it.