Yanamko, a 24-year-old rapper from Toulouse, has been cast in the upcoming season of Nouvelle École, Netflix’s French rap competition, which premieres on August 26.
He will not be the only Toulouse connection on the show. Oli, the brother of rapper Bigflo, is joining the jury for the new season, a detail revealed in the show’s first teaser. Yanamko said Toulouse had never been so well represented on a platform of that scale.
The rapper said his goal is to raise the city’s profile in French hip-hop. He argued that Toulouse has an enormous pool of talent but that it remains too difficult to bring artists and neighborhoods together in the way he sees happening in Marseille. He said he wants to open doors and make Toulouse’s scene more visible and identifiable.
From Ariège to Toulouse
Yanamko grew up in Ariège, raised in a family steeped in music. His father worked as a DJ and his uncle owned a recording studio. He said rap became meaningful to him as a teenager, when he began focusing seriously on his writing and on expressing himself as clearly as possible on the page, describing it as a form of release above all directed at himself.
Four years ago he left Le Mas-d’Azil for Toulouse in search of more opportunities. He said becoming a rapper was never a possibility he entertained cautiously but always a certainty.
To turn that certainty into a career, he assembled a professional team around him, including a manager, the label Last Generation Music, and the studio Avalia. That structure allowed him to produce and release multiple tracks and music videos.
Contacted on social media
The Nouvelle École approach came through social media several months ago. Yanamko said he was on the metro when the message arrived and had to resist the urge to jump around in a crowded carriage. He did not hesitate before saying yes.
He described the shoot as an incredible experience, saying that for an artist still building his career, working inside a production with a large budget felt immediately like a real professional job. He added that he met very strong talent among the other competitors and tried to keep the atmosphere light.
With the August 26 premiere approaching, he said the real work begins after the broadcast, releasing several new tracks to stay visible once the show is done.
