Rafael Leao is only just beginning his career at the top level of football in many ways, and he hopes to go to the top as a music artist as well.
Leao – who is also known by his artist name Way 45 – was the protagonist of the new episode of ‘Noisey Personal’ by VICE, in which he talked about his origins, his passion for rap music and his dreams in football, with MilanNews relaying his comments.
How are you?
“All good. I’m at the end of my album, I’m running out. Missing a couple of video clips to do. I’m happy with what I’ve done so far.”
This would be your second album, right?
“We chose to make an album because then I can make even more music, more songs and others could hear more.”
How was this passion for music born?
“My dad played music when he was young, my uncle was a DJ so inside the house I always had music close to me. I started writing first, then put the beats on it during the quarantine. I had nothing to do, I couldn’t go to training but I trained at my house.
“And then I did a mini studio at home, I started learning and rehearsing, those close to me told me that maybe there was an opportunity to pursue. I like making music, going to the studio was a bit far, so I bought headphones, microphones, that stuff. My producer sent me what I needed to buy and I made a little studio in my house so I can make songs whenever I want.”
What kind of singer was your father?
“Semba. It was kind of back then. Similar to reggaeton, so it was said. Not quite that similar, but at least so you understand. When I lived alone music was my company. Before arriving in Italy I was in France and almost always I was alone and music was my company.”
How did you know that you liked rap?
“For the messages. I used to listen to it a bit when I was training, there were messages about never giving up and stuff like that, it stuck with me.”
Who are the artists you grew up with?
“50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Kanye West… Now there’s Lil Baby, Future, Roddy Ricch.”
Do you listen to Italians?
“I listen to Lazza, Sfera, Chief. Also yesterday I was with Lazza. I like their music, they are good guys. Before arriving in Italy I was already listening to them”.
Would you ever do collaborations with them?
“We see. We have to talk. Clearly Lazza, Capo and Sfera are at a high level. I’m open to everything, it would be a pleasure to do a piece with them.”
Will you ever sing in Italian?
“I have to learn the words a little more, but it’s not difficult. I thought it was before, I’d never rehearsed, but I went into the studio and rehearsed a few times and it was fine. It’s easy because I always talk about my life, about the things that have happened to me, the good things and the bad things.”
The OTF tattoo?
“It means ‘Only the family’. Then I also put the postal code of my neighbourhood, it means that those who saw me growing up are my family, so I’m always with them. Where I go, I’m with them.”
Even your rapper name, Way 45, has a link with the place where you come from?
“Way in English means path, 45 is the postal code of my neighborhood.”
What is your neighbourhood called?
“Bairro da Jamaica.”
And what did you do when you were little in the neighbourhood?
“I always played football. Even my friends today are my neighbourhood friends. They did the things I couldn’t do, because I started playing football when I was little. I couldn’t go dancing or anything because there it was training in the morning.
“I always played football there, all day long. When I can I go back to Portugal and I go there, my relatives are there and I go to visit them. When I was little I can’t say I was poor but my father had a difficult time to help me.
“There were friends who could buy €300 shoes, I couldn’t. Instead today I can buy whatever I want, I can help my family because my dad doesn’t work, as well as my mom. I can help them.”
How did you do at school?“
“(Laughs) I think I was a smart boy. When I played for Sporting I went to the same class with my field mates. When they started messing up I started too, then we had to go out because our professor couldn’t continue.
“I still think I was an intelligent and quiet kid. There came a time when I couldn’t continue school because there were training sessions and matches. Even as a child my dad tried to find a club for me, so I started playing when I was seven.
“Where I lived there was a person who worked for a nearby club, and in front of the house there was a garden where I always played with the other children. I was always there to play, he saw me and asked me if I played anywhere. I said no and that my dad was looking for a club to start with.
“He told me to go to his team and do a couple of workouts, then we’d see. I went there, trained and started playing at that club, it’s called Mora. Three weeks later I signed with Benfica, but I didn’t have the possibility to go to training because Lisbon was far away, and they told me to be calm, that someone would come and accompany me to training every day.
“I signed with Benfica, I waited a week: they never arrived. After a week later my dad contacted them and said I would go to another club. So I went to Sporting, and then from there…
“There were people close to me who said I could go far. I had the talent but then in training… I liked football, but I didn’t know where I could go in the future. Then there was a meeting with my dad and I, they told us that maybe I should leave because what I was doing up to that moment wasn’t going well.
“So maybe I should have found another club. And there I got it into my head that I had to wake up and concentrate to work and put myself in a position to get to the top. I want to win many things, important things, be important in my club and win individual trophies.”
Where are you from a musical point of view?
“For now I see music as a hobby. I don’t think I’ll get to the top like this. But I try to do things well because I like it, even for people to understand what I mean. Now we are doing a studio in Lisbon, which is nice, we want to bring other rappers to record as well. It’s a step-by-step thing.”
What’s your favourite song?
“Desabafo. I talk about my family, my territory, what I’ve been through, the important people in my life who have brought me here. I wanted to tell my story, as I said before, when I was a kid and there were my friends doing things in front of me that I couldn’t do. It had to be a journey, and I played with it.”
How many songs have you written in total?
“I can’t give an exact number. More than 50. When I get to my house in one day I make 2-3 pieces. I finish training, get home, rest, wake up at 5:30/6pm, watch Netflix, listen to a beat. I go to the studio at 7, at 8:30 I eat and at 10, 10:30 before I sleep I do this until midnight.”
What do your team-mates think about your side project?
“Before they laughed a little, they put the songs on as a joke and I immediately told them to turn them off (laughs).”
Who’s the most excited about this?
“There was Dani Malda (Daniel Maldini) and Alexis (Saelemaekers).”
But who is it that understands it a little less? “Zlatan (laughs).”
What is the goal you have set yourself from a football and musical point of view?
“In football, the Champions League, in music, to bring my name as high as possible. To be known at the top of music.”
Source sempremilan.com
