After establishing himself on the rap scene with his first album melo, the 23-year-old rapper is nominated for the Victoires de la Musique, revelation of the year category. Back on his ascent.
Tiakola’s life had a turning point in 2022. A true hitmaker, the 23-year-old rapper released his first album in May. melocertified platinum and closes a busy year with a consecration that makes any artist dream: a nomination for the Victoires de la Musique.
Selected in the male revelation of the year category, alongside Belgian Pierre de Maere, rapper Lujipeka and electro artist Jacques, Tiakola is far from being a rap novice. Launched by chance into the world from an early age, the prodigy from La Courneuve produced five records with his group 4Keus and also distinguished himself solo from 2019, in prestigious featurings with big names in French rap: Niska , Gazo, Dinos, Leto, MHD… A look back at his rise, from the city of 4,000 to the Victoires de la Musique stage.
From football to music
Registered in the Le Bourget football club since the age of 5, William Mundula – his real name – was originally intended for a sporting career. But, discouraged by competition in the professional world, he gave up this dream at the age of 16 and turned, somewhat in spite of himself, to music.
It was by accompanying his friends, rap enthusiasts, in their studio recording sessions, that Tiakola discovered an innate talent for singing and rapping. Nicknamed “La Melo”, for his ability to imagine melodies, he was then recruited into the group 4Keus, formed in his city of 4000 in La Courneuve. Together they record their first hit, O’Kartier It’s the Hessin 2017, which allowed them to be spotted and signed with Wati B, the label of Sexion d’Assaut and Black M.
Within 4Keus, Tiakola quickly stands out for his sense of melody and his ability to create catchy choruses. After four years, five projects and a gold record, the rapper decided in 2019 to try the solo adventure, without leaving his group.
Eclectic inspirations
His public demands a first solo album, but Tiakola takes his time and favors collaborations with French rap stars (Niska, Gazo, Dadju) to gain notoriety as well as musical maturity before releasing a project. .
“It was by collaborating with Niska that I understood how to build a sound. I understood how he made his greatest bangers. He taught me a lot”, confided Tiakola during an interview for Clique TV in May 2022.
Aware of his ability to create hits but not yet ready for an album, Tiakola works stubbornly on his weaknesses before launching. He takes singing lessons to work on his voice and surrounds himself with the rapper Dinos who helps him to work on his pen and to develop his first album, melounveiled in May 2022.
A real success, this disc quickly climbed to the top of the charts thanks to an original musical mix. Tiakola summons eclectic inspirations, influenced by rap and R’n’B that his seven brothers and sisters listened to, but also his Congolese origins as well as gospel, heard at the church where his mother took him on Sundays. .
“In rap I loved the prods and in my sisters’ R’n’B I loved the melody so I put it all together. That’s why when you listen to my music, the prods are dark and I add my melody. It’s the mixes that I listened to when I was little,” he told Clique TV.
“We come to win”
Successful, thanks to titles like If I knewOr AV mode in collaboration with Gazo and Niska or even Gasolina, the album melo is certified gold only one month after its release, then platinum in September 2022.
At the end of 2022, Tiakola also took eighth place in the ranking of the most listened to artists of the year on Spotify, between Orelsan and The Weeknd before receiving the consecration of any artist: a nomination for the Victoires de la Musique.
“It means a lot to me, it’s a pride, an accomplishment of the work I’ve done for all these years. It’s like a golden ball for us”, he assures the microphone of BFMTV.
And the ascent is not likely to stop on such a good path for Tiakola. While 2023 has barely begun, the rapper has already offered himself a collaboration with Aya Nakamura and the Belgian artist Hamza, and will be on March 12 on the Olympia stage in Paris.
The artist has also exceeded 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and intends to add a Victoire de la Musique to his list. “Now that we are named, we come to win. We want to bring the cup home,” he concludes.
