Lala &ce, rapping ace
Not well-known until recently, except in underground hip-hop circles, the face of Lala &ce (to be pronounced as an ace - in tennis) from Villeurbanne has been everywhere of late, particularly since the release of her first album ‘Everything Tasteful’ in January.
A new overnight star of the French rap scene and ambassador for major fashion houses, she is creating a new model for women in keeping with her times. From the neighbourhood of Charpennes to the fashion pages of vogue, we look back at the beginning of a career that has been as explosive as one of Serena Williams’s aces.
What was it like for you growing up in Lyon?
I was born in Bron and grew up in Villeurbanne. I lived in a flat in Charpennes with my parents and four of my seven brothers and sisters. I went to school in the Gratte-Ciel neighbourhood. Secondary school was a totally different environment, as I went to Lycée Édouard Herriot in Lyon’s 6th district. I asked to study Chinese so I could go to a better school.
What were you like as a little girl?
II got good marks, but I hung out with the trouble-makers. Some of the teachers didn’t like that much. They thought I was a bad influence on the class, but that wasn’t the case.
And as a teenager?
I was in the cool crowd. I went to a posh secondary school and started discovering new things, going out, having drinks… I brought my old friends into this environment, and it was fun for them to experience something new. Then, I went to Lyon 3 University, to study management sciences with a specialism in finance. I went to London for the final year of my degree, just after losing my father. I stayed there, worked in a bar and made music. That period taught me a lot about myself and music.
What kind of music were you listening to back then?
I listened to artists like Missy Elliott, T-Pain, Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne a lot. Americans who were pioneers in their genres. My best friend, Adel, introduced me to a lot of music.
When did you start making music?
The first time I recorded something was in secondary school. I found a program called Audacity on my Dad’s computer, downloaded an instrument and recorded my voice over it. I sort of left it there for a while, and then returned to it later on in secondary school. Around that time, I met some guys on Facebook who were making music every day. It was kind of odd rap. They called themselves LTRT, and Jorrdee was one of them. Later, at uni, I met the collective 667. I made music, and we had similar tastes. We got to know each other through music and became friends.
Did you go to concerts?
No, we mostly listened to music on the Internet. Once, we went to DV1 to see a concert by Grems, who I listened to a lot, but they turned us away because we didn’t have our ID with us!
Do you remember your first time on stage in Lyon?
Yes, it was at Le Sucre in 2016, for a concert by my friend Jorrdee. We were the supporting act for Brodinski. Then, in 2017, I played at Ninkasi Kao with my friends in the collective 667. I was very excited. I’m not really extroverted in my day-to-day life, but on stage, I feel good, comfortable.
On 25 May*, you will be the curator for Night 1 at Nuits Sonores. Are you familiar with the festival?
When I was a girl, it was the festival that everyone looked forward to. I went once. It was at Marché Gare and, looking back now, it seemed huge! Laurent Garnier was there, and a rap group, Mos Def (Editor’s note: in 2013). I also often went to the Double Mixte to see electronic music artists. At the time, I listened to Ed Banger, Justice, SebastiAN, Mr Oizo, and that whole scene a lot.
* (1) Nuits Sonores reconnects with one of the strong markers of its identity, and invites 4 exceptional curators to co-program the program A night with … A night with Lala &Ce on Wednesday 25 May 2022.
This is the first time in the festival’s history that a local female artist has been chosen as curator, and what’s more a rap artist. How did you react when you were approached?
I was delighted! Then I started thinking about who I would bring. I want to make it a blend of new generation French rap, with La Fève and Rad Cartier, for example, and DJs like Bamao Yandé. And there is the Nigerian singer Midas The Jagaban, who doesn’t necessarily fit into Nuits Sonores’ electronica aesthetic, but makes the kind of music I listen to.
How have you handled your rise to fame?
It’s been OK. I feel like my “fame”, in inverted commas, is developing in stages. I’m working, releasing things. And I have people around me who aren’t in the music industry, who help me keep my feet on the ground.
How about your family?
Yes, they’re really on board now, but it wasn’t like that at the beginning, not at all! My mother in particular wondered what I was doing. She arrived from Côte d’Ivoire when she was thirty and met my Dad here. She is an educator for young children, so it can be scary for her to see her daughter become a singer. There are no certainties in this profession.
Do you often return to Lyon?
Yes, as often as I can. To see my Mum and my best friend, Adel. He works at Maerck, so nothing to do with music, but he knows a lot about music. He loves my career. Whenever I record something new, I send it to him and we chat about it.
Do you still feel like a Lyonnaise?
I’ve forgotten quite a lot of stuff, like the names of streets when I’m going somewhere. But when I return, I feel at home.
Biography
27-year-old Mélanie Berthinier – A.K.A. Lala &ce (pronounced ‘ace’) in tribute to her grandmother from the Ivory Coast, Lahoré, and Serena Williams, the queen of aces – has just released her first album, Everything Tasteful.
With her calm “trance-style” diction and slender androgynous silhouette, she plays on her sulky voice in her videos, revisiting rap conventions.
Ticking all the right boxes to create hype, this artist is also attracting major luxury brands. She is a model for the Mugler digital fashion show, and ambassador for the new Kenzo collection, as well as Burberry and Moncler, alongside her mother. As she sings in her latest single, Toxic, Lala &ce “works fast, fast” (“bosse vite, vite”).
Lala &ce's 'à la lyonnaise' favourite addresses
Lyon’s two hills
“I love the views high up on the hills of Croix-Rousse and Fourvière. I like going to Fourvière because my grandmother lives there.”
Esplanade de Fourvière, Lyon 5èmeEsplanade du Gros-Caillou , Lyon 4ème
Place Edgar-Quinet and Saint-Pothin Church
“When I went to Lycée ÉdouardHerriot, we used to hang out on the square in front of the school, and we used to mess around by the church.“
Lyon 6thLes Poupées Russes
“I used to hang out around Hôtel de Ville (city hall) quite a lot during my spare time, near the Opera House, the skateboarders’ square (Place LouisPradel). Just up the hill, there’s a bar called Les Poupées Russes, which we used to go to a lot. We knew the son of the family that ran the bar. We used to get free shooters there.”
Asul Tennis Villeurbanne
“I played tennis for a club in Cusset.
I went to training sessions every week, and there were balls to pass, like the belts in karate. I was really into it!”
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