Metro Mix: Exploring the Parisian underground with Tysha Cee

We’ve teamed up with New Balance to give you a taste of the Parisian underground, right from the fashion moguls who spin in their spare time to the DJs taking over warehouse parties at the weekend. And on March 1, we're popping over to the French capital for a dance…

Metro Mix is a new three-part series where we invite DJs from the French capital to show the world what this vibrant scene is all about. Next up: Tysha Cee

Tysha Cee is a creative powerhouse in the underground scene of Paris. Working across multiple disciplines, Tysha has her hands full as an in-demand model, DJ and producer. Throughout these sub-sections of art, she represents her Congolese background, asserting that it goes "hand-in-hand" with her sets and her style.

Worlds regularly collide for Tysha as she has DJed at a huge number fashion events on top of modelling. Beyond fashion she has also had the honour of DJing for legendary artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Leikeli and Tommy Genesis at a number of locations in Paris and beyond.

Tysha is known for playing around with genres, which she regualarly demonstrates on her Rinse FM France residency, mixing everything from hip hop and deep house to Afrobeat and funk. Alongside showcasing a passion for all types of music behind the decks, Tysha performs captivating live shows, bringing her productions to life with a selection of instruments.

As a versatile artist with a motivation to highlight the underground sound of Paris and the Republic of the Congo, Tysha Cee is radiating what a modern-day DJ can be.

Where do you gain musical inspiration?

My musical inspiration mainly came from my parents - when I was really young I remember listening to a lot of vinyl - soul, funk, R&B, Congolese music, salsa and other musical genres.

And after that, as I grew up my musical inspirations developed thanks to my travels, meeting people and my general curiosity of other cultures.

What came first for you? Fashion or music?

I would say music. Music is part of my day to day, whether it be via my DJ sets or my all-nighters at the studio.

Even though for me they go hand in hand, dor each performance I try to make sure that there is an element of fashion via my clothes or an accessory, I like it.

How has music influenced your love for fashion?

Being of Congolese heritage – I would say it’s even cultural for me. Music and fashion go together.

I remember, when I was younger, I’d be fascinated by hip hop and R&B music videos with artists like Aaliyah, who would perform with her clothing style and various different street fashion brands, and you can really feel this influence today with fashion icons like Aleali May. Or more recently we can see Pharrell Williams who’s becoming the artistic director for Louis Vuitton; I think it’s amazing and feel it really makes sense., Virgil Abloh would also do this really well connecting music and fashion.

How do you balance time as a model and as a DJ?

My main things is to be a DJ/producer – I would say the modelling side is more sporadic and I take it in a more chilled way, something fun which I enjoy and don’t put any pressure on myself.

What have been some of your favourite fashion-orientated DJ gigs?

For L’Oreal I remember they’d told me to make sure not to make people dance too much. The exact opposite happened. The energy was so incredible that there was even a dance battle. It was pretty funny. I was rebooked thanks to that event.

Can you tell me what the fashion and DJ scene is like in Paris and how they compare?

I don’t think you can compare. I would say they're complementary worlds, each person will use fashion as a means to express themselves or inversely.

What can you reveal about the underground music scene of Paris to me?

The underground scene is incredible. The energy is so varied whether it be in terms of the vibe or the DJs. There is a real feeling of freedom in both the musical line-ups as well as the people who go to the events.

The atmosphere is different, and you can discover real musical gems. Honestly, those are the best nights I have in Paris.

What have been some of the best underground nights you’ve been to in Paris?

There are quite a few cool underground events in Paris where I have either played or attended like This is Amapiano, Trap Africa, La Creole, La Savage, Spiritual Gangsta to name a few…

What’s next for you?

These past few months I’ve been lucky enough to do some producing elements for international artists which I have really enjoyed. The next step for me would be to get to the next level, to get my name out there and play my own tracks at festivals and for other DJs to play them too. And why not launch another personal musical project.

Can you tell me a bit about your mix?

My mix is a condensed version of my musical inspirations, my current mood, a journey between diverse continents and of music of African heritage.