High on Matcha: Loco’s Calm Collection of Bars

With a lead that rips you into a Twilight Zone-esque world, Loco’s new track with Argentinian rapper Taichu and Kansai favorite Young Coco embodies the calm and relaxing nature of matcha with a gentle flow that still goes dumb. Loco provides the cool and refreshing base with his laid-back bars while Taichu and Young Coco bring the flair. The refreshing track stems from Loco’s relationship with the drink: “Honestly, I also aspire to live a cool and elevated life—but not in a rushed way. I want to rise slowly and steadily. I felt that if I made a song about matcha, I could express that message in a meaningful way.” From winning the first season of Korea’s top rap show “Show Me the Money” and putting out hits to working with other top stars like Jimin from BTS, he’s been honing his craft. Not afraid of putting in the hours at the lab, “Matcha High” shows how tracks that appear as scraps at first glance can be polished into gems.

The production reflects Loco’s sentiment with the drums asserting the chill vibe with a little extra kick. Produced by Koshy who you may know from tracks like Team Tomodachi and Mamushi as well as South Korean producer Vangdale who’s worked with stars like Sik-K and HAON, the team consists of promising producers that know how to deliver. Rounding out the star-studded team, Verdy worked on the cover art to tie together the laid-back theme with a minimalist cover.

With Loco’s 3rd studio album, SCRAPS, coming out in July, we can’t wait to see which gems he chooses to exhibit.

Loco

How did you start working with Taichu and Young Coco? I heard you filmed the music video in Seoul. What was it like to meet them in person?

As soon as I created the sample source for the intro of the track, I instantly thought, "This song has to be a collaboration with a Japanese rapper!" And Young Coco immediately came to mind. I was confident that he could turn this laid-back track into something hard-hitting. I reached out to him right away, played him the track, and not long after, he sent over his verse. Then I thought it would be fun to add a third language—something other than Japanese or Korean—and that it’d be great if it was a female rapper. That’s when I thought of TAICHU from Argentina, who’s super cool, and decided to reach out to her. In my experience, when you meet artists with a chic and aloof image, 10 out of 10 times they turn out to be incredibly nice and sweet in person. As expected, both Young Coco and TAICHU were so warm and fun. Thanks to them, the music video shoot is something I’ll always remember fondly.

What inspired you to come up with the song about Matcha?

A lot of people around me love matcha, so I naturally ended up having it quite often. Unlike coffee, I heard that the caffeine in matcha is absorbed much more gradually. So over time, I found myself reaching for matcha more than coffee.

Then one day, the keyword “Matcha High” suddenly came to me. Honestly, I also aspire to live a cool and elevated life—but not in a rushed way. I want to rise slowly and steadily. I felt that if I made a song about matcha, I could express that message in a meaningful way.

What’s your favourite Matcha menu item?

My favorite is a matcha latte with oat milk—lots of ice!

Verdy did the cover art for this Matcha High track. How was the collaboration with him?

My studio is filled with VERDY’s artworks—he is an artist who has had a huge influence on my music. In that sense, VERDY’s cover art feels like it completes my music. Please look forward to the cover art for my studio album as well!

You’ve titled your upcoming 3rd studio album “SCRAPS” and announced its release in July. Can you share any hints about it?

When I listened back to songs I had abandoned before, I realized they were real gems. So I gathered them together into a studio album. If I were to give you a hint... ah! They might be the tracks I shared briefly on Instagram. I'll carefully polish those gems I took out of the trash and share them with you.

Are you planning a tour after the album release? Will Japan be included?

Of course! I think I’ll be going to Japan quite often. And I’ll definitely be drinking a lot of matcha while I’m there.

Taichu

You visited Seoul for the first time to work on the music video and the song. What was your first impression of Seoul?

⁠I mean, that was really my first time in Asia. So, coming from Argentina, it looks like the future.

What was the most memorable place in Seoul — somewhere you’d recommend to others?

I really loved all the places I visited on those days. I would say Parc for Korean food, Times for the club, and Gentle Monster for shopping. The whole crew had dinner at Yeongdong Jang-eo (grilled eel), and it was great.

What’s the rap scene like in Argentina?

The rap scene in Argentina is very close. I think everything grew in 2019 when trap was going viral here. We came up from nothing really. Argentina is a very rock country so I think it’s very special to grow a scene from different sounds. It opens a lot of roads for upcoming artists.

How would you define yourself as a musician?

I’m alternative, seductive, and hard. I like to do different things, so I can always do what I want.

What are your plans for the future?

⁠⁠I plan to release my second studio album this year and continue making albums and looking for the sounds that interest and inspire me and take them to my code.

Young Coco

What made you decide to work with Loco?

I was in Korea last September for a dinner with Human Made, we ended up talking then — that’s how it started.

How was the music video shoot in Seoul?

It’d been a while since I shot in Seoul, so I was hyped to be back. The Loco team was super chill, so the whole vibe was fun. Molly Yam pulled up too — shooting in the subway and that car scene definitely stuck with me.

What was the most challenging part of writing the lyrics for MatchaHigh?

I listened to the beat, pulled up to the studio, and started recording — a few hours in, I played it for Loco. The hook was super catchy, so it came together pretty naturally. The flow just clicked, no real struggle.

What are your plans for the future?

I’ve got a show in Tokyo this summer, and I’m planning to drop an EP and an album before the end of the year