“Abroad, every rap album has a black, rectangular logo on the corner that says, ‘Do not buy without consulting your parents.’ There’s nothing like that in Türkiye right now.”

“As is known, everything that came to our country from America first reached the mainstream culture. Just like in the case of McDonald's, everything you can think of was first tasted by people with high social standing. However, rap music is the only element, the only style, the only way of life that came to Türkiye from the subculture. It came from the subculture and is now rising towards the mainstream culture.”

“If swearing is necessary, it should be used. People shouldn't restrict themselves. Slang or swearing exists in almost every branch of art; cinema, theater, and painting. Why shouldn't it exist in music?”

The rap music group Mode XL defied the notion that albums couldn't be made in Ankara by releasing their second album, "Serseri Serbest Stili" (Reckless Free Style). Featuring guest appearances from Cem Adrian and Basemode Records artists Evrim, Güntaç, Dizzazta, and Azat, the album comprises 16 tracks. The first music video, for the song "Müptela" (Addicted), began airing on television shortly after the album's release.
Founded in 2000 in Ankara's Batıkent district, the group consists of Yasin and Evren (Cupabesta). The group, which handles all stages of composition, lyrics, and arrangement itself, takes the name Mode XL; this symbolizes "a relaxed and broad perspective on life."
How would you define rap music?
Rap is rhyming lyrics sung to the tempo of the music. It is one of the four main elements within hip-hop culture. Many people today use the words rap and hip-hop interchangeably. However, rap is a musical style, while hip-hop is a culture, a way of life that encompasses this musical style. Hip-hop is a culture formed by African Americans who emerged from the ghettos of America in the late 1970s. This culture includes rap music, graffiti art, breakdance, and DJing. In its broadest sense, if we liken hip-hop to a tree, rap, graffiti, breakdance, and DJing would be its branches. Singing rhyming lyrics to the tempo of the music is called MCing.
What are the prominent elements in rap music?
The most important thing in rap is respect. This respect is unmatched in any other music genre. There's a concept of "old school" in rap. That is, there's incredible respect between the previous generation and the next generation in rap. Even if you don't like the music, you have to respect the work, support it, or remain silent. I don't see this respect in other music genres. If the generation after me or the generation above me is doing rap wrong, remaining silent is also a form of respect. When I look at other music genres, people blame each other without considering their own generation. Because in other music genres, there's a competition for popularity, but there's no such competition in rap.
What has been the evolution of rap music in our country?
Rap music originated in America. It began as a rebellion against the system in America, but in Türkiye, it's more about the negative impacts of living conditions than a rebellion against the system, providing people with a way to vent their frustrations. Rap music was introduced to a wider audience in Turkey by the band Cartel in 1995, but at the time, many people didn't realize it was rap music. They simply liked it because of its melodic feel. In rap music, political events and nationalist sentiments of the time were prominent, and Cartel's lyrics presented these elements with a somewhat oriental background and sound. There's an interesting and important point about the arrival of rap music in our country. As is known, everything that comes to our country from America first reaches the mainstream culture. Like the McDonald's example, everything you can think of was first tasted by people with high social standing. However, rap music is the only element, the only style, the only way of life that came to Türkiye from the subculture. It came from the subculture and is now rising towards the mainstream culture. Currently, popular people know rap music, wealthy people know rap music – everyone knows it. Arabesque, pop, and rock music reflected the style of a particular person. The style of life that people in Türkiye actually experience is found in rap music. Arabesque is a genre with similar melodies, listened to for sadness and depression, and rooted in Arab culture. However, rap music has everything; it can be listened to to see the truth, to have fun, and to feel sadness. Therefore, I believe that rap music is not a fleeting phenomenon in Türkiye, but a lasting one.
You mentioned that rap has its own unique clothing style in Türkiye. How should people who make or listen to rap music dress?
Apart from pop and arabesque music, which I don't consider part of alternative music, those who make alternative music have their own unique clothing style. I have my own unique clothing style, and I prioritize comfort in it. But if you ask why rappers wear baggy pants, the reason is this: wearing baggy pants is a style that came from America, and the factor that created this style is that, in those days, because Black people were poor, they mostly wore their older brothers' and fathers' clothes. In fact, they weren't very happy in baggy pants back then. Now, wearing baggy pants has a symbolic meaning, and it's necessary to look at it from a symbolic perspective.
Rap music lyrics are heavily laden with slang and profanity. How would you explain this?
I'm actually against profanity. There shouldn't be profanity in rap, but to express something, you have to use whatever comes to mind. So, if you need to swear, you should swear. You shouldn't restrict yourself. Slang or profanity exists in almost every branch of art; in cinema, theater, and painting. Why shouldn't it exist in music?
Is there a theme of love and romance in rap music?
Rap contains love and romance, but these are somewhat suppressed. What comes to the forefront is more about people's thoughts, about expressing one's own thoughts to others. These thoughts are mostly about life, politics, or family.
Isn't the use of slang and profanity problematic from a societal perspective?
Currently, rap music is used in many areas, from advertising to various other fields. Some companies, in particular, use rap for their advertisements, even featuring children. Rap is perceived in the market as music that entertains people. In reality, they don't realize the implications of their actions. Because in the future, mothers will try to discourage their children from listening to real rap. Abroad, every rap album has a black, rectangular logo on the corner that reads, "Do not purchase without consulting your parents." There's nothing like that in Türkiye right now, but it will be in the future. Just as you see a 16 or 18 rating on a movie label when buying a music store, you'll see the same thing when buying a rap album.
What is the average age of people who listen to rap music?
Rap music is accessible to everyone. But I think the average age of people who can appreciate our style of music is 22 and above. Because the lyrics we write are based on real-life experiences. Someone who hasn't lived through that environment might not understand us. A person who has reached the age of twenty has more or less seen those environments.
In rap music, the lyrics aren't really given much attention; the rhythm of the music seems to take precedence.
The reason is that currently, rappers in our country rap a bit too fast. Actually, rapping too fast isn't rap. What's important is that the listener understands what you're saying. If they don't understand, there's a problem. Our style is more understandable and slower. We talk about things that everyone can encounter and experience in their daily lives. After making the music, we write lyrics based on what it evokes in us. Our approach to topics is very relaxed, and we use special sounds in our music.
How are the lyrics and music in your albums created?
Both the lyrics and the music are our own. We express our normal lives through lyrics, writing about the things we experience. Our style, as the name Mode XL suggests, is to look at life from a relaxed and broader perspective, approaching events more easily. In fact, the name of our second album is "Reckless Free Style." We write the lyrics as if we were chatting with our friends. People use many words they don't even realize they're using when talking to friends. When people listen to our album, they might find it strange because of the slang and profanity. However, everyone uses slang and profanity in everyday life.
Is there a rap group that has influenced you?
I was influenced by Bone Tughs & Harmony. In Turkish, it means "Harmony of Dead Bones." We particularly like the West Coast style of music. In Türkiye, there are individual musicians, but I can say that as a group, we are unique in this genre of music.
Can you tell us about your group and your work?
Our band consists of two people: Evren and me, Yasin. Our record label is MK2 Productions, and our studio is Midas's Ear Studio. Both are located in Ankara. We made our first album with limited resources. Our second album, Serseri Serbest Stili (Free Style), which we are currently releasing, was made with better resources. Cem Adrian is on this album. We made the song "Kelebek" (Butterfly) together. When people listen to this song, they will see that rap music has expanded its form of expression and that it tells so much. Cem Adrian is one of the best voices in the world. This is what surprises people a little. Because people in the Istanbul scene have simplified rap music so much that they find it strange when we work with quality people. Our goal is not to become very popular, but to reach a certain audience and get our lyrics to as many people as possible. We try to do this by working with quality, respected people.
People involved in music generally prefer Istanbul. Why are you so insistent on Ankara?
We're more comfortable in Ankara. We don't have any plans to go to Istanbul right now. We love Ankara, we're happy here. All our experiences are in Ankara. We tell the stories of our experiences in our music. We also enjoy doing our work in the place where we were born and raised. Our record label is in Ankara. Everyone thinks that this kind of work has to be done in Istanbul. We released our album in Ankara and shot our music video in Ankara. They say you can't release an album in Ankara. Being in Istanbul means appearing on programs, being in the media spotlight. We don't have that intention. What's important for us is having quality listeners. And that's what we have in Ankara.
You said you shot a music video.
Yes. Our music video has been airing on television for about a month now. Faruk Özerten directed it. He's studying Communication Design at Bilkent University. Actually, all the good names come from Ankara, but none of them live in Ankara; they all live in Istanbul.

Yazan Sanatçılar: Evren Besta Mode XL → Ve Yasin