Check-in with artist Jonas Benyoub

Meet Jonas Benyoub. He’s gone from being “your favorite artist’s favorite artist” to selling out theaters, topping charts, and sweeping Spellemann and P3 Gull awards. We had a chat with him about his love for Oslo, the leap from the studio to the stage, and how a chicken schnitzel with “magic sauce” became the secret ingredient for his another fire verse.

We know you’re always on the move. How do you actually use a hotel room when you're touring? 

Hotels are a huge part of life when you're playing shows across the country. I’ve stayed in everything from tiny shoebox rooms to big suites. All with their own kind of charm. For me, the hotel is where I find my headspace before hitting the stage. I just love the hotel vibe.

You’ve built your career brick by brick, once saying that “it takes time to build a proper house.” Does the house feel more complete now? 

There’s definitely more stability in my “house” now, and I think I’ve made it clear that I’m planning on staying here. But like most people in my line of work would say: the house is never truly finished until you move out. I’ve still got more bricks to lay and milestones I want to hit.

Got a specific memory from your last stay at Hobo? 

I had this incredible chicken schnitzel with a magic sauce down in the Hobo Bar, then we went straight up to the corner suite. We’d set up a studio in the room, and I laid down a wild verse right then and there. That combo was a great experience.

What does it take for you to feel at home, and not just visiting, when you check in?

I’m not that high maintenance. A smile and a friendly hello goes a long way. But if I walk into a room and find a fruit platter or a little chocolate? Then I’m good, Jonas laughs. Clean rooms, good beds, and a mini-fridge? Yes. That’s when we’re talking comfortable.

Stadium tour or intimate club gig? Pizza or fine dining? 

Can I say both? There’s a very specific energy in playing for 20,000 people, but an intimate gig is way more personal. If I absolutely have to choose, I’m saying stadium. As for the food: fine dining before the gig, pizza after.

A suite at Hobo for the rest of your life, or a cabin in the mountains? 

I’ve gotta go with the Hobo suite! But I’d definitely escape to the mountains for a quick minute whenever my head needs some air.

Finally: your top 5 Oslo tips?

1. San Remo at Torshov: Order a double shish roll, spicy, with extra sumac. Thank me later.
2. Idioten: Bring a double cortado to a bench in this park. The sun hits just right.
3. Sidechick: Mike Angeles serves up the kind of food where you’re "licking the sauce off your fingers.
4. Raj the Barbershop: Head to Markveien for a legendary fade by either Raj or his brother, Rishib.
5. Support your locals: Seek out all the local spots you can. They’re the ones keeping this city alive!