Arkano: "The game remains from my 15-year-old self: the will to improvise in all aspects of my life"

We have not asked him about football, although he admits that he is somewhat lost on the subject. What Arkano does control, in addition to cooking after passing through 'MasterChef', is music. Since he was a teenager he has established himself as one of the great national rappers. This Friday comes out the single from his new album, 'Match', which promises to be something spectacular. We'll be alert. In addition, the artist has shown his most committed face by sponsoring the GAES Oyeah project to promote the prevention of hearing health in the youngest.

Q. His new album, 'Match', is here. What awaits us?

A. This Friday the first single from my new album comes out. And for me it is as if all the stars have aligned. It is the song with the best musical production of my entire career, the best video clip of my entire career, on top of that it has been mixed and mastered by professionals who have worked with Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny...

Q. These are big words.

R. It is that everything has come together to say: this is my work. What comes out this Friday you have to see and listen to it. I don't know how to say it anymore, I'm so excited.

P. Could it be that you are in one of the sweetest stages of it?

R. I am without a doubt at my best professionally and personally. Everything is perfect!

Q. Also Masterchef? How was the experience?

R. The program has been one of the projects of my life. Also, it's very curious because suddenly you turn your whole life into cooking. In fact, I canceled all my professional projects, I stopped going to the radio, I stopped doing everything. Since I knew I was going to enter I had a teacher to learn, I fell asleep looking at recipes, reading books... It's very curious to dedicate a few months of your life just to this.

Q. But we understand that your priority is still music.

R. At the moment I am not going to open any restaurant! (laughs). I'm focused on 'Match'.

Q. In 'Masterchef' they asked him to speak rapping and he refused. Does this dynamic ever come to an end?

A. Yes, of course. Of course. It's funny because people think that it's not hard for me to improvise rhymes, but, really, there is an important emotional preparation behind it. Every time I know I'm going to improvise I try to remove all the fear from my body because it's what blocks the flow of creativity. I try to arrive happy, playing. On the street they tell me, rhyme me with this, but it's not that simple.

P. We do not want to remove him, but to make it clear. Is there Arkano for a while?

R. After this interview I retire (laughs). No, no, I'm fine, with energy. I am motivated by what I do, I like it and I am happy. It doesn't burn me.

Q. What remains of that Arkano who won the Battle of the Roosters in 2009 at the age of 15?

R. From my version of 15 years to now what remains is the game. That illusion to be surprised, to improvise. And not only at the level of rhymes, but wanting to bring that improvisation to all aspects of my life. Like everyone else, I always have grayer stages and they are precisely the stages in which I am improvising the least.

Q. How do you see the current rap scene?

R. There is everything, the truth is that it is difficult for me to generalize.

P. We will specify more then. What do you think of Gazir?

A. Gazir is crazy! In the Spanish final in which he won, I went to see her, then, at the party, I grabbed his head and said: How do you do it! What he does I could not do even in 30 years, it's great.

P. Gazir is 19 years old and it's another story. But what advice would he give to the younger ones?

R. I can't give Gazir any, but to those who are starting now I would say not to take things too seriously. That all the steps seem the most important, but they are not so much. Whenever you take a step to one side, you can take it to another. It is perhaps the same advice I would give myself in my career. How many things have I worried about that I shouldn't have.

Q. Finally, let's talk about hearing health. Here the steps are important. To what extent is it key to talk about it?

R. I consider it important to raise awareness about hearing problems because, especially young people, we see it as something very distant. It's like this isn't going to catch me... until something happens to you."

Q. You more than anyone know what dangers you are exposing yourself to...

R. It happened to me with tinnitus. Suddenly you hear the beep and say oysters, be careful. And now I at least am at the point of having all the care in the world because there is no turning back and the only thing that can happen is that it gets worse.