Freestyler who performed at the Bad Bunny show: What do you regret? What do you think of the criticism of Tourista?

If Vijay Kesh had heard the phrase “Compete only with yourself”, he would probably be a software engineer by now. The Peruvian freestyler who recently gave a show on the same stage of Bad Bunnywas at the time a geeky eager to prove to the bullies at his school that he could rap better than them.

But perhaps his most arduous competition was battling his mother’s arguments that prevented him from leaving the university at the age of 19. His growing fame in the arenas of various provinces of Peru positioned him as one of the favorites in the professional freestyle league, FMS Peru. Back then, he was known as ‘New Era’, and the demand that comes with his popularity forced him to quit his studies, albeit with the promise that one day he would resume them again.

Whether you comply or not, that decision is now entirely yours. Gone was the doubt of his parents who today are proud of the achievements of his son. This year, Vijay not only managed to become the first Peruvian rapper to qualify for the final of FMS International 2022, but he is also working on his first record album. In an interview with El Comercio, he talks about his presentation at the National Stadium, his evolution as a freestyler and the musical references that inspire him as an artist.

— How did they contact you to give a show with the opening act for the Bad Bunny concert?

They told me the same Sunday morning. I was returning from Trujillo and well, what better opportunity; I accepted one and did what I had to do on stage. I enjoyed it and I loved it. It was an honor, I never imagined being there, until now I don’t believe it.

— And since you were performing with them, did the criticism of Tourista worry you?

I do not believe that this controversy has been to crucify Tourista, although I understand that they made a mistake and as such they have to accept it. The guitarist only gave his opinion, but the problem came when they saw that they were going to open Bad Bunny’s concert. because maybe if they hadn’t shown up, nobody would have told them anything, I’m almost sure they would have overlooked it. I met the band members and I think they are very good people. They are simple, simple and humble, they like what they do; as a band they are very close. They knew how to face this problem, I was there with them and I thank them very much for the invitation. And for later you have to take care of the words.

“When I was still a little battler of squares, it did not get into my head or attract my attention to produce music; now I regret a lot for not having started earlier.”

Vijay Kesh, freestyler.

— Let’s go back to the beginning, how do you think you’ve changed from your time as New Era to Vijay?

I don’t think that I have changed, but that I have shown what I really am. Since New Era was very hidden, he was just a fighter. Vijay is a freestyler who improvises on stage, and puts on a good show with great staging. I have always been this rapper, but I had not shown it in the squares. My personality is how you see me now on stage, I mean, I’m a super jerk, I do crazy things, and I jump from here to there. Over time I have managed to open up to the public and seeing that they received it in a good way, I continue to do so. Now I’m an “international rapper”, it’s not like I’ve been to so many countries, but I’m more professional thanks to the fact that I already have a work team.

— For many freestylers it’s an almost natural step to end up making music, what led you to go that route?

What led me to music was wanting to express what I felt at different times in my life. When I was still a little battler of squares, it did not get into my head or attract my attention to produce music; now I really regret not starting soonersince I just started in 2018 and I’ve been rapping since 2014. What finally decided me to do it was realizing that maybe I wasn’t the best in the world, but I liked what I did, and the people I know too- I know I’m not the hottest artist of the year, but I have an audience that likes my songs and I think I owe it to them.

— How would you define the type of music you make?

I always try to venture into new genres so that my audience knows that I am not doing this just to do it, but that I really want to do it well. Now I’m studying music production online, and I think I’m improving a lot. The songs that I’m going to release now are going to have a professional quality. He had already released albums before, but they did not have the quality he would have wanted. It’s not that my songs are bad, but I want to go professional and make music with decent production so that it reaches the whole world. I just hope it goes well for me so that I can help others later.

— Who are the artists you take as references within the urban genre?

I take those from Argentina as a reference: Duki and Tiago PZK, they are guys who started in the arena, young people like me, who were able to reach the big stages. Now they are world top and have songs that exceed 100 million visits. It makes me understand that, if they can, so can I, because I don’t think I have less talent. They serve as an inspiration to me, especially since they are not ashamed to tell their story. Although it is also due to the fact that Argentines are a very united public that, if they see a boy stand out, they lift him up. On the other hand, here in Peru, although they are quite supportive, sometimes we forget what the union generates. If we came together to support any emerging artist this would grow much more, especially in the urban genre.

— It is often said that the rigidity of freestyle tournaments and battles end up limiting the creativity of artists and that is why they decide to retire. From your experience, do you think it is true?

Yes, the battles limit you a lot, not only emotionally, but also at work. Sometimes there are seasons where I have had a lot of events and I can’t do anything the rest of the week. So I have to go to another country and be there for a week or two without being able to do much, although I always try to make my music, sometimes writing on the plane, the hotel or even on the street. But these battles have a great emotional charge, because there are many people who love you and, of course, many other people who hate you. What I do is concentrate on the people who love me and that is why they will continue to see me in battles for who knows how much longer, I hope it will still be much longer.