Kodes collaborates with Project X Paris
The 91 has clearly once again become a capital of French rap, and has an energy all its own, which has been distilled worldwide by Niska, Koba la D, and today by all the Bat 7 artists, like Kodes. The rapper has been exploding in recent years, and we at PXP are delighted to be able to collaborate with him!
Bat 7" at the top of the charts
Is there any department more influential in French rap today than 91? Not sure. While 92, 93 and 94 have all had their moments of glory, today it's 91 that seems to be setting the trends. Not that they were a bit behind the times: Ol Kainry, Diam's and Sinik have all made their mark. But since the meteoric rise of PNL and Niska in the mid-2010s, things have taken on a whole new dimension. Not only were local rappers dominating the charts, but they were also bringing a new musical vibe and vocabulary to the game. Boosted by all this energy, a new generation of artists quickly emerged, particularly in Évry and more precisely in the Parc aux Lièvres, a district of the city with a rather turbulent reputation. This generation is known as "L'Équipe du Bat 7", named after the number of their building in the housing estate. A building where a lot has obviously happened, if you listen to the lyrics of the team's rappers. The crew includes such big names as Koba La D, of course, Shotas and Kaflo, but also Bolémvn, Keusty, Chicaille Argenté, Zeze and Kodes, who have joined the gang for the 7 Binks adventure.
Among the team, certain artists inevitably stand out: Koba la D, the superstar, Bolémvn, the most unpredictable, but also Kodes, perhaps the most aggressive, the most kickeur. It has to be said that the rapper has had time to learn his trade, notably in his first group, Mafia Spartiate. This adventure gave birth to an album, "7 Vie là", in 2018, before the launch of a series of solo freestyles that would make him explode: "Méchant". The tone is set, and Kodes cultivates in his music an image of a bad boy who's quite restless, very energetic and not to be messed with. When he first started out, Kodes was very much influenced by Niska's music, particularly in terms of his flow, the way he posed on the instrumentation and his attitude, but he quickly diversified and now offers a really broad musical palette. It's no coincidence, either, that the Parc aux Lièvres artists have all worked hard on their melodies, bringing in sounds we've never heard elsewhere, right down to their voices. With all these tools, the artist is beginning to have quite a discography.
A newcomer to the rap game, Kodes has already had a busy career: one album with the Spartan Mafia, 3 albums with 7Binks, and two solo albums, "La B" and "Avoir & Être", released in 2020 and 2021. A third solo project is just around the corner, as the rapper is currently in the process of releasing new material. The artist is a workaholic and knows that the time has come for him to get the solo recognition he deserves, that of a solidly established 91 artist who has made his mark on the game on his own scale, with very qualitative kicking sessions and much more melodious tracks. His versatility doesn't stop at the microphone, which is why we wanted to collaborate with him at Project X Paris. The rapper has a style, an extravagant attitude and a mastery of his classics.
Kodes & PXP, the summer collab
For a long time, streetwear, inspired by the New York universe, was a rather wintry style, but fortunately things have changed since then, and we've been able to move towards lighter pieces and warmer colors. It was in this much more summery direction that we went with Kodes. With him, everything went like clockwork, during an anthology shoot. We'd like to pay tribute to the inventiveness of our designers and graphic artists, who came up with two different atmospheres that fit perfectly with the artist's attitude and the current collection. The first is on location, and features Kodes in a magnificent Ferrari F8 Tributo Spyder, with outfits that are inevitably a little blinged-out and exuberant. Like the outfit from the Springbreak capsule, with tropical-print shorts and a casual shirt in the same colors. Worn with a cap, a pair of sunglasses, a pretty watch and a chain with an imposing pendant, in short, a relaxed yet eye-catching outfit!
A combo that obviously suits the rapper, who has a rather exuberant personality in his lyrics, and it fits well with the Ferrari + summer outfit combo, halfway between very street and very "Miami". Another example is the second Springbreak outfit, this time featuring a t-shirt with a rainbow gradient logo motif, and shorts also with a rainbow gradient logo motif, all on a black background. Once again, we're staying with the idea of summer streetwear, with a touch of luxury in the chain and watch. But Kodes is also very stylish in a slightly darker, less sunny and less colorful mood. We were able to observe this during the second part of the shoot, indoors, under a hangar with lighting reworked by us. And the icing on the cake: the little four-seater plane, the Robin DR 400, to give a slightly more noble touch to this very street hangar. Once again, the rapper pulls it off wonderfully, whatever the outfit, even the most original: an ensemble from the Bandana capsule, with shorts and a hoodie with a bandana motif, for a very successful look.
As we can see with the Bandana sweatshirt, Kodes is equally at home with more wintry pieces, but since we're in the midst of the warm weather, we were keen to have him test a must-have for this Summer 2022 season: the Patchwork capsule. This capsule is based on superimposing blocks of color to create a patchwork effect that's both soft and stylish. We had the artist try on a beige ensemble, still in the hangar with the plane. From the photos, we can tell it's a success: the outfit matches the frame perfectly, and even the stripes on the plane. The ensemble is rather simple, but very effective: plain beige shorts with an embroidered double logo, and the inevitable "Patchwork" color-block shirt, worn over a white tank top with embroidered logo and a pair of black sneakers, and you're all set. The rapper's ability to adapt to a variety of very street and sometimes very risqué outfits is truly a joy, and we at Project X Paris are delighted to have been able to carry out this collaboration in such an auspicious setting. We hope to do it again soon, perhaps for a more wintery collab!
WHO WE ARE
The Project X Paris brand was founded in 2015 by two French designers who wanted to combine the urban art of living with today's haute couture trends. Combining lifestyle and streetwear, the young brand has conquered major cities such as London and Dubai, and today continues to expand throughout France, with more and more boutiques.
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