Albums Reviews

Nemir NEMIR

09/2019 © Ailleurs / Capitol Music France

What a pleasure to finally discover Nemir’s long-awaited debut. We waited for him for years, and the artist originally from Perpignan - in South of France - unveiled his album, so coveted by his thousands of fans.

The one who knew how to make himself important and indispensable in the landscape of the French urban scene thanks to the numerous features he made with renowned rappers such as Nekfeu on two of his biggest hits like 'Princesse' and 'Elle Pleut' has to delight his audience with this first solo album without any flaws.

It's impossible to describe Nemir and his musical genre as it's too varied and colorful to be perfectly explained. From purely Rap sounds on 'Ça Sert' to guitars rhythms reminiscent of the Catalan Rumba on 'Des Heures', the multi-faceted artist knows how to alternated with perfection between singing and rap. The one who sees his notoriety increase by the general public and Rap fans thanks to his tracks such as 'Habibi' and 'Loin Devant'. Special mention for 'Rock N' Roll' with S.Pri Noir and 'DPLT' with Nekfeu these new featurings with artists that Nemir knows well because he has already had the opportunity to work with them many times.

From this album we keep a feeling of novelty with new and surprising songs like 'Chant Sacré' where Nemir is even more touching by singing in Arabic. No doubt to say that the artist with an infinite talent has conquered a new audience and delighted his fans of the first hour.

© Fanny Hill Scott

CHILLA Mün

07/2019 © Suther Kane

This album is a pleasure, a real delight, a marvel even. It's so good to hear women’s rap and especially of this quality! In truth, I almost didn’t believe in the next generation of female Rap and Chilla has come to shake all my uncertainties.

Her talent, her claims and her greatness, all mixed so sincerely gave us a big shock! There's something rather rare about Chilla: the way she sublimates French Rap whilst breaking the prejudices we have about female Rap and going against her detractors. In songs like 'Am Stram Gram' she evokes social inequalities and to silence the many macho characters present in the Rap game, while enhancing the image of woman.

Chilla doesn’t rap to silence men, but to make women important, and I think it’s brilliant. Rare are those who do not try to turn off the light of others to shine themselves. This album is full of marvels. Such as the song titled 'Tic-Tac', which is a wonderful message to her people and 'Ego', featuring rapper Gros Mo is a gem track as well.

This combination always worked; a musical harmony with a flow and a powerfulwriting. Chilla already has everything. A sharp feather that will conquer more and more people over time, and I sincerely think Chilla represents one of the new leaders of female Rap since Diam’s.

© Fanny Hill Scott

Mental PLK

09/2019 Enna Music France / Panenka Music

What about this mixtape that falls on the French Rap like a bomb ready to blow up all the competition around? PLK hit hard again and we thank him for it.

This mixtape is full of musical wonders such as the song 'Problème' released in July and which was the soundtrack to our summer. The track 'Un Peu De Haine’ smashed everything directly reaching number one of the TOP France on Spotify and Deezer. PLK, this 22-year-old Polish artist who has already been mentioned to you several times, came back even stronger with this new mixtape, tinged with Zumba and Grime sounds while keeping his sincerity in his writing.

The one who had touched his audience with the song ‘Bunkoeur’, where he opened his heart in his first album Polak, repeated it again with songs like ‘Meilleure Cauchemar' and ‘Tout Recommencer’ featuring Tessa B, where he lets fans see a new side of his personality. The Parisian rapper - from his real name Mathieu Pruski - once again confirms his versability and his ability to go from one register to another. As demonstrated to us when we’re listening to banger ‘Le P’ completely different from ambient songs like 'Travailler’, that will stay in your head for weeks.

This new mixtape confirms once again that the rapper has nothing more to prove to the French Rap.

© Judith Delourme

Il.était une fois BLACK M

09/2019 Wati-B/ Sony Music Entertainment

Black M - former leader of the iconic French Rap band Sexion D'Assaut - has just released a new album and we're completely under its spell.

As usual, the rapper from Paris manages to make us feel lots of emotions with current and social facts, as for example 'Ainsi Valse La Vie' and 'Monsieur L'Agent' which are just some of the wonders from the album. A second favourite of us is the song 'Lucien', which deals with school harassment, a subject that we increasingly talked about in music and cinema and which is important to talk about on a daily basis. Black M - shortened version of his first stage name Black Mesrimes - knows how to choose the right words to reach us. We could even shed some tears because the artist allows us to feel like we’re in Lucien’s shoes.

Black M always knows how to impress us with his featuring artists such as 'Sale Journée' with the two brothers rappers Bigflo & Oli. Talking about their artistic lives it also shows that at the end of the day they are ordinary people with their doubts and their distress.

Black M's album - from his real name Alpha Diallo - the best album of his career so far and one we're not disappointed with the result. The 34-year-old rapper didn't lost nothing of his dazzling talent and knows how to smash everything with new sounds while speaking in rhythm and in truth.

©Audrey Prati

Bandana FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB

06/2019 Keep Cool / RCA Records

After more than 5 years of waiting, since his remarkable last album named Pinata, that was released in 2014, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are back for a new collaboration on the excellent Bandana. And we can say that the two renowned artists didn't fail to dazzle us with a triumphant return.

The remarkable flow of Freddie Gibbs was unbelievable and he doesn't hesitate to address current society themes. The track 'Education' in featuring with Yasiin Bey and Black Thought is a perfect example. He talks about the African-American situation in the United States, including police violence, overcrowding of prisons and the rampant school discrimination. Songs such as 'Situations' and 'Practice' also reflect the rapper’s internal and personal questions about his role as father and artist. We fully feel the introspection that the 37-year-old rapper showed in the lyrical process of the album.

Madlib also proves that there's no need for accessories or the latest sound system to make a good album, as he recently pointed out on Twitter: “I made all of the beats for Bandana on my iPad.” We should note the simplicity of the artist’s creation, which leaves space for even more sincerity but without abandoning the musical quality.

Work, creativity and authenticity; this's the secret recipe for this new album and a collaboration that is now legendary!

©Léa Savin