Yoko made a strong impression with his signing to Morning Glory, celebrated through a standout freestyle recorded in DJ Bellek’s studios. He then followed up with a run of singles, firmly rooting his narrative in the 95 and the city of Sarcelles, where he comes from. Despite his young age, Yoko already displays solid lyrical control, paired with a cold sense of lucidity and a certain fatalism, evident both in his writing and in his visuals, often conceived as short films—most notably “Jamel”. With the series “95 degrés”, whose first chapter is already available, the artist sets out to tell the small stories of the 95: seemingly ordinary situations whose consequences can nonetheless be heavy.
Yoko now unveils the second chapter of his 95 chronicles with “95 degrés Pt. 2”!
The instrumental is produced by DJ Bellek and Heerbeats. Used to working together—particularly with artists from the label—the two producers deliver a track built around a piano sample, an instrument that repeatedly appears on screen and carries a strong emotional charge. The rhythm is firmly contemporary, deliberately steering clear of boom bap conventions. Over this icy foundation, the rapper delivers his lines with restraint and precision, staying true to his calm yet cutting flow:
“At nine years old, I was already old enough to know why my mother was crying /
they can talk about me, f*** them, as long as we’re eating /
once you act without thinking, it’s already too late for ‘after’”
The visual, scripted as a direct continuation of the first episode of “95 degrés”, was directed by Le Clown. Behind most of the visuals crafted for Yoko, the director had already made his mark with the artist’s first narrative-driven clip, “Jamel”. He is expected to carry on this storytelling approach by overseeing the visual direction of the entire 95 chronicle built around “95 degrés”.
