Some rappers dream of working with a superstar. Demi Portion has a slightly more complicated wish list. If he could bring one musician back from the dead, he'd pick Bob Marley. Guitar, spliff and all those messages of peace included. That tells you quite a bit about the man. The French rapper, whose real name is Rachid Daif, spoke to ZEWEED about his life, music and the things that matter to him. When cannabis came up, he didn't bother dressing up his answer. His favourite intoxicant? Marijuana. No long speech about fashionable strains or fancy California genetics. Just a straight answer.
His background is never far from the music. Demi Portion talks about Sète, the French coastal town he comes from, and Morocco, where his family has roots. His idea of a perfect day involves the rooftop terrace of the family home in Maâziz. Away from the noise, somewhere familiar. When it's time to make music, though, he likes having people around. These days he'll rent a house, invite a few beatmakers and turn the living room into a temporary studio. They spend a week eating, sleeping, listening and recording. Sometimes, he says, they come away with fifteen tracks. Most people return from a week away with dirty laundry. Demi Portion comes home with half an album.
There's a thoughtful side to all this, too. He's performed inside French prisons and seen how much music can mean to people whose lives look nothing like those of a festival crowd. Not everybody listening to a rapper has a drink in their hand and a ticket for the next show. Some are facing years behind bars. That's one reason Demi Portion doesn't want his lyrics endlessly celebrating violence or destruction. He'd rather leave people with something worthwhile. Which brings us back to Bob Marley. A man who could carry a message of peace with a guitar, a reggae rhythm and a joint. Maybe that's why Demi Portion would love to bring him back. Not for a celebrity photo, but to hear what he'd have to say.
