Artist Snapshot: Mamadou.
NAME: Mamadou Yattassaye
SCHOOL: CC ’21
GENRE: Hip hop, R&B
WHAT THEY DO: Producer, songwriter, filmmaker
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What’s a song you wish you could listen to for the first time again?
“Mortal Man” – Kendrick Lamar
Who is an artist you look up to?
Mustafa is an artist that I look up to for real. As a Muslim songwriter and creative, seeing
an artist like Mustafa use his art to tell his story is reassuring and inspiring. I aspire, as a
creative, to emphasize and amplify marginalized voices, to dismantle stigmas on Black
vulnerability, and talk about my Islamic faith. That’s an artist I would love to work with one day, inshallah.
When did you start writing music and performing?
I’ve always been a poet first before music. I started writing poetry in 7th grade and my
love for expressing through words held close to my heart ever since. I wrote and
experimented with songwriting in high school but I didn’t really start being serious with
the music until I got into college.
What’s something you’re working on, or are excited to start working on?
Been working a lot of new musical projects and trying to implement my love for cinematography to illuminate those songs. Definitely been evolving and being more intentional with my sound and purpose so excited to share all of that when the time is right. Keep streaming my debut project “To Stitch a Rose.” in the meantime.
How has being in NYC influenced your art?
New York is the foundation for a lot of the stories I’ve illuminated in my art. Growing up
in Harlem, the concrete, the doorsteps, the deli shops, the windows were where my imagination sprung off of. It has always forced my inspiration into reality, the fantasy, and the in-between.
Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with? Who and why?
There’s definitely a couple of artists that I would love to collaborate with in the future.
Saba, Brent Faiyaz, Noname, and Mustafa. Saba and Noname are two artists that I
really admire and study in terms of using cadence to storytell intimate, authentic, dark,
and beautiful life stories. Brent (and Sonder) definitely in terms of production and
songwriting approach. Brent’s usage of live instrumentation and compelling vocal
harmonies really inspire the tunes I’ve been creating recently.
What are your top 3 favorite albums of all time?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Me Against the World, To Pimp a Butterfly
How has the pandemic affected your music/process?
This pandemic has made me count my blessings. Life and death are so intertwined,
it’s very essential to stay present with the blessings around you. But, in terms of my
creative process, I’ve had even more time to craft and produce. My intentionality in
my production and songwriting has definitely been enhanced.
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
The therapeutic element of it all. Being able to grow and heal as a human being. Being
able to connect with people who I’ve never met before just through what I put onto the
canvas. Breaking and transcending barriers through the element of creative expression.
I’ve realized music, poetry, film, art are the universal languages.
What’s an album with no skips?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
What’s your favorite music video?
“Do For Love” – 2Pac