On the Mic With Yannick Bolasie, the Best Rapper In the EPL

This story originally appeared on VICE Sports UK.

In the self-acclaimed 'Best League In The World,' there isn't much room for romance. Many of the Premier League's stand-out moments arrive via the swish of a Saudi billionaire or Russian oligarch's pen, or from the ranks of one of the big clubs.

That means there is something especially heart-warming about a player who has paid his dues finally landing in the big time. Just like Jamie Vardy – who tops the Premier League scoring charts – Yannick Bolasie started out in non-league, once flying down the wing at Hillingdon Borough and even spending a year in Malta to get professional games.

Spin forward seven years and Bolasie, 26, is scoring hat-tricks in the Premier League and being nominated for African Player of the Year for his heroics for DR Congo. Gaffer Alan Pardew was only half joking when he said it would take £60m to sell him – snubbing Spurs who were reportedly willing to offer a third of that price in the summer.

Yannick's impressive legwork on the touchline is (almost) matched by his skills on the mic. By the unofficial barometer of YouTube acclaim, Yannick can also consider himself the Premier League's greatest rapper, out-foxing all challengers in the dressing room and online. Last season he smashed New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, introducing the phrase "Leave you in the Park, like Ji-Sung," to the football vernacular.

Bolasie says his round-the-houses arrival gives him a unique perspective on the pantomime of the Premier League. "The way I've come up, through all the leagues, I've had periods where I wasn't even getting paid. At Plymouth Argyle, I think the PFA had to step in and help with my wages. Every few months the club was in administration. That taught me a lot. I was lucky, I had some saved on the side which helped me get through. I still save, not spend, now."

VICE Sports hears how Bolasie finally blew up in the Premier League.

Yannick, you were playing in non-league just a few years ago. What's it like to hear your manager Alan Pardew say he would only sell you for £60m?

You've just gotta laugh about it. It's crazy, to think where I've come from and where I've been playing to have a manager of his quality say that makes me feel proud of myself. But also, it makes me want to work even harder – I know all eyes are on me so I have to work harder to make sure I am on my game all the time.

On a very different note, are you actually the best rapper in football?

I don't know about that! I heard there's a couple of contenders. Daniel Sturridge is quite useful I hear though I have never heard any of his stuff. But there's a lot of people who do listen to grime and then listened to the clash (with Bradley Wright Phillips) and then tried to come up with their own bars. I've been kind of laughing it off! I was pleased to beat Brad – he's decent to be honest, but I think the public understood my bars a little bit better than his, my flow was a bit slower. Oh, and of course my stuff was more football related.

Are you surprised how your rap notoriety has grown?

It's weird, people have picked up on it and it's become a thing. A music-sharing site Deezer even asked me to do a playlist for them. Even as a kid I was either playing football or MCing. All I do is MC. The missus has banished my rapping from the house now! My friends come round and we have to escape to the summer house to do it! My little one joins in – Kaide, he's only two – he loves joining in. He gets on the mic and gives it the, "Yo, yo, yo!"

We've read you're a bit of a football geek – that you record every detail of every game you play and everything you do in training?

That's very true actually. I have a recovery score guide – a little book I keep details in after games – I monitor how much I sleep, what I eat, my recovery – making sure I drink my shakes. I keep track of fluids, keeping hydrated. It matters against the teams you come up against. You have to monitor yourself. If you're going to play Arsenal you know you're going to be running a lot as they pass so much so you eat, drink and sleep to fit with that.

Despite being nerveless on the mic, we understand you used to have the fear in front of goal. Is that true?

It's a part of my game I want to add to and I've been working on it. My first goal in the Premier League – away at Everton – was a big weight from my shoulders. I hadn't scored the season before and it was getting to be a headache. Then I got a hat-trick away at Sunderland – that shut a few team mates up! I'll be the ultimate judge of whether I am happy but I think I will score a lot more goals than I did last season.

You've played for Hillingdon Borough, Barnet, Rushden and Diamonds and Floriana in Malta. How did you finally end up in the Premier League?

When you look at where I've come from you think I have no right to do what I've done but it's all about the hard work people don't see. I've been doing a lot with my own personal physio – I've seen a big difference in my pace, power, physique. Now I'm looking to add those last bits to my game to hopefully become a complete player.

So, you're not just wearing tighter shirts these days then?

Haha! Back then I was wearing bigger shirts so I am actually wearing tighter kit at Palace! Way back at Plymouth I was into my boot cut jeans and wearing everything big but now I like skinny jeans. Seriously though, I'm a lot stronger now than I was.

You've just been nominated for AFCON Player of the Year, how does playing for DR Congo compare to the Premier League?

It's a huge reality check. Every time I go out it reminds me to keep my feet on the ground. What I have compared to some of the people out there, it's embarrassing to be honest. You see the pitches they play on, they're covered in rocks and glass. The kids have no shoes or they play in flip-flops. I'd like to create something that gave back to them. I'd love to do more out there. From next year I'd like to build up some charity work.

How did you end up playing in Malta when you were 19?

One of my family friends was supposed to go out there for a trial but he was injured. He then sent his agent instead and he watched me at Hillingdon. I had a trial and they have strict rules about foreigners – you can only have three in each team over there – and so, aged 18, I was a bit of a risk for them. It was brilliant for me though, I'd recommend playing abroad to anybody.

You, Jamie Vardy, Chris Smalling and other players all played non-league football for a while. Does that show Premier League clubs are missing a lot of quality down there?

There is a lot of real talent down there. But it depends on the person as well though. You have to be mentally strong. Someone like Jamie Vardy has it, look what he's doing now. I think, weirdly, the older they are when they come through the better, as they understand the chance they are getting.

What does Alan Pardew think of your grime skills?

Pardew is fine with it. Me and Wilf (Zaha) play all the grime. We usually get out Skepta, "That's Not Me," before matches – even the boys that don't listen to grime love it. Pardew's into his music. The moment he finishes his meeting before the game, he's like, "Right let's get the music on." He's always up for it. His music is okay to be fair. A lot of the time it's R&B in the changing room so he'd have to be in to that.

@andyjoneswrites

To mark the launch of the new 'football' section on Deezer, Yannick Bolasie has created his own 'Deezer By' sharing his favourite tracks and artists. Find out more here.