Magazine | Rapper Gotu Jim: “Don’t take studying too seriously”
Gotu Jim (29) combined an emerging rap career with a degree in human geography and urban planning at the University of Amsterdam. How did he manage to balance the two? Folia interviewed him ahead of his autumn tour, which will also take him to Paradiso.
Gotu Jim – real name: Jim Lageveen – has been involved in music since the age of fifteen, he says over a black coffee at student café Kriterion. What began as cobbling together some improvised beats in his bedroom eventually grew into a fully-fledged rap career, complete with millions of Spotify streams and performances on some of the country’s biggest stages. The foundations of that success were laid during his time as a Human Geography and Planning student at the UvA. He was still immersed in student life when his first songs unexpectedly went viral in 2018.
Suddenly you found yourself in the spotlight. What was that like?
“At first, my music mainly circulated among fellow students. It was really only in my final year at the UvA that I started being recognised more often around the university. Once, someone took a photo – with flash – of me while I was studying. That was a bit strange. But apart from that, it was all fairly manageable. I actually quite enjoyed it.”
How did university go for you otherwise?
“I’ve always been reasonably good at studying, so reading books and writing papers came naturally enough. Back in secondary school I briefly considered going into music or drama school, but in the end the freedom of university appealed to me more. I was good at geography and interested in things like climate change and urban planning, so Human Geography seemed the obvious choice.”
“Studying also gave me a bit of structure, which I liked. I could just quietly make music without feeling too much pressure about it. Between my student finance and the money I earned from music, I could get by.”
What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t become an artist?
“Working for the city council or something? I don’t know… A lot of former classmates work there now. I’ve never really spent much time thinking about what I wanted to do in the future, not even now. I don’t really look further ahead than a year.”
You perform a lot at student societies. Yet you don’t exactly strike me as the stereotypical fraternity type.
“That’s true, a traditional student fraternity wouldn’t suit me at all, but I do understand why people join them. The shows there are usually really fun though, and that’s what matters most to me. The crowds are enthusiastic and chaotic, which creates a great atmosphere.”
Do you ever miss student life?
“Yes, definitely. Sometimes I do. I used to spend a lot of time here on the Roeterseilandcampus as well, because I couldn’t concentrate properly at home. I sometimes miss the carefree nature of being a student. You genuinely don’t have to do anything; everything feels possible.”
So quite a lot has changed in your life since graduating.
“Absolutely. My career is now a full-time job. I can’t just go out drinking during the week anymore, or stay in the studio until four in the morning. I can’t handle that now, and it’s not healthy either. The older you get, the more hassle there is. You simply end up with far more responsibilities and obligations.”
Even though you’re not a student yourself anymore, your music – with themes like drinking, drugs and nightlife – is still hugely popular among students.
“That’s true, but I think young people who aren’t students recognise those themes as well. So, my music isn’t really about student life at all. People see it that way, and that’s fine, but that’s their interpretation. Personally, I don’t think my newer music sounds studenty at all anymore.”
Do you consciously try to appeal to a broader audience now?
“On the one hand you obviously want to grow and keep moving forward, but it’s not like I’m deliberately pushing myself in a particular direction. It’s probably better not to think too much about who’s going to listen to the music you make anyway. It’s more about what I want to express myself, and of course that changes over time. You get older, your taste changes, so you’re constantly evolving.”
This magazine is read by lots of first-year students. What advice would you give them, you wish someone had given you when you first started university?
“For me the transition wasn’t huge because I already lived in Amsterdam, but to all those students moving here for the first time now, I’d say: don’t take studying too seriously. Go and discover what you enjoy, there’s so much happening here in terms of art, culture and nightlife.”
Which clubs would you recommend?
“Honestly, just go to Leidseplein and see where you end up. I don’t really know what you’d be doing in those clubs in Noord if you’ve only just arrived in Amsterdam. Just start with Leidseplein.”
Speaking of nightlife around Leidseplein, you’re playing your own show at Paradiso in December. Does performing at venues like that start to feel normal after a while?
“Yeah, you do get used to it a bit, but it still feels really special. I grew up nearby and I’ve been going to Paradiso since I was about fourteen. I’ve been there so many times over the years; it’s honestly one of the most beautiful and intimate venues I know. So being able to do another headline show there is really special. There’s definitely pressure on a day like that, of course, but once you step onto the stage you don’t really have time to think about nerves anymore. At that point you just get on with it.”
