Eesah Yasuke

Is there really such a thing as fate? Or are all these things just coincidences to which we ascribe a higher meaning? No matter what may be reality or superstition here – with the story of Eesah Yasuke, one has no choice but to simply be happy about a whole series of events, without which we probably wouldn’t be able to listen to the music of the young artist from France today.

Isaiah was born in Roubaix, a quiet town in northern France. She spent her childhood among youth centers, children’s homes, foster families and mother-child facilities. The situation around her placed a heavy strain on her, so she kept trying out different outlets, starting with a passion for metal and rock and ending with outstanding athletic achievements as a track and field athlete and sprinter. However, these activities did not make her truly happy. Instead, she started writing poetry – more and more, to the point where she did almost nothing else in her spare time. After school, she studied sociology and started her training as an educator. That’s the story, which doesn’t have much to do with music.  However, a single evening changed the story.

One evening at a park, Isaiah met a group of musicians who were freely playing the guitar and various drums. For some time Isaiah just listened to them, but then she sat down with them and wrote a poem. At first, the present musicians and people passing by were curious as to what exactly she was doing. A short time later, however, she spontaneously improvised her poem as a rap song and captivated everyone around her. They played music together until late at night, exchanged contacts, and continued to stay in touch after that evening. A short time later, Isaiah dropped out of her training and decided to become a musician.

Her writing skills were great, and rapping felt like it would come naturally to her as well. What she lacked at that point was the technical know-how for music production. Although she initially tried to do it by herself, she quickly realized that she lacked the knowledge and equipment to produce music. Just as coincidence had already brought music to her, she got to know Chief Waxy. On Instagram, she looked for people who gave advice on how to make money with music. Along the way, she came across the producer, who in turn quickly enjoyed her music. After initial discussions, it turned out that Chief Waxy’s mother was the director of one of the homes where Isaiah had spent a long period of her childhood. Immediately, a close relationship developed between the artist and the producer, and they decided to produce Isaiah’s first EP together.

She decided on the artist name Eesah Yasuke in parallel with this acquaintance. She chose the name Yasuke in reference to an African slave who became a famous samurai in feudal Japan. “This story is very powerful and touched me deeply, so I wanted to honor this exceptional fate by borrowing his name,” says Eesah about it today.

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The jointly produced EP was released in June 2021 under the title “Cadavre Exquis”, in reference to the game invented by surrealists, which consists of several people completing a drawing together.  Eesah Yasuke herself feels the need to complete things in her texts – as her own life story or a social problem that demands a differentiated engagement. One such issue that particularly moves her is racism: “It’s something that rises up in me and will be with me for the rest of my life. I have experienced many incidents in this context that have only strengthened my character and my aspirations. Art is about expressing yourself, taking a stand. In everything I write, I have to talk about it. Maybe it’s unsettling, but authenticity is important to me. You have to be at peace with yourself.”

At the end of 2021, another release will be released with producer Chief Waxy. More detailed information is not known yet, though the first single from the project, “Mon ciel”, can already be listened to. At the latest with this song and video, Eesah Yasuke proves that chance has brought her on the right path – or perhaps fate has.