DA Uzi collaborates with Project X Paris
What would French rap be today without the contribution of the 93 scene, particularly that of Sevran? We don't have the answer, but it wouldn't be nearly as cool. DA Uzi is among those who have given French rap a taste of authenticity, a taste of the street, in short, a taste of 93. And he's obviously as at ease on the mic as he is in front of our lenses, for this new collaboration!
DA Uzi, the street itself
When Kaaris revolutionized French rap in 2013 with his album "Or Noir", he also brought a little light back to his home town, Sevran. A town that has long been disparaged by the media, at the heart of a department that is itself the most singled out. A lot has been said about the town, but the most important thing is that it was a huge reservoir of raw talent that just needed a little spotlight to explode. No one was ready for what was to come, and Sevran turned out to be a kind of French Atlanta: the capital of trap music, where all the trends of the movement were represented, with artists such as 13 Block, Kalash Criminel, Maes and DA Uzi quickly finding success. A child of Sevran since the age of 15, he started rapping at an extremely young age, almost as soon as he arrived in the town. If he came to prominence a little later than the other rappers in his town, it's due to a rather eventful career, because it has to be said that DA Uzi has known the street, the real one, the one in Sevran where everything can go very fast. But since his comeback in 2017, he's been unstoppable, and for good reason: he's got energy and experience to spare, much more than some of his rap game colleagues.
This energy exploded into the public eye with her series of incredible freestyles, published on Youtube at the time, "La D en Personne". A series of hyper street freestyles, with rather crude clips and poignant lyrics. DA Uzi has a lot to say, and he says a lot in these early freestyles. Introspection, street life, ambition, all wrapped up in a touchingly raw attitude, he quickly caught the public's eye. Given the success of his freestyles (over 20 million views in total), he decided to push the concept to the limit and turn it into a project, which was well received. Immediately afterwards, he delivered another incredible freestyle performance on the "Rentre Dans Le Cercle" show, hosted by Fianso. Once again, it was his energy and authenticity that allowed him to explode even further. Since then, he has embarked on a new phase in his career, being extremely productive, both solo and featuring. Yes, the rapper is one of those artists who loves feats, especially with his brothers from Sevran. Luckily, there are so many talented rappers from Sevran that it's easy to come up with lots of good tracks.
The rapper from 93 released 4 other albums after "La D en Personne", and each time, he continued to reach a little more people. Today, he's an important face in French rap, which has enabled him to invite Gazo, Ninho, Lacrim and Naps on his latest album, "Le Chemin des Braves". DA Uzi also has a huge list of feats to his credit, proof that he is validated by his colleagues, and that's only to be expected. He's authentic, perhaps even to a fault in certain tracks. He gives everything away in his music, and you can even feel that some of the lyrics were hard to write. In interviews, he's very natural, never tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time extremely benevolent and lucid about the ordeals he's been through. Music was clearly an outlet for him in the early days, but today we can see that he has broadened his influences and begun to experiment a little with other styles, and is succeeding in becoming a complete artist, while always retaining the same energy and spontaneity that are his strength.
DA Uzi and PXP: 100% street
We drew on this street energy for our shoot with DA Uzi. It was a very successful shoot, with several atmospheres in keeping with the rapper's universe. The first part took place in a hangar, in the company of a high-end German vehicle. With the help of tarpaulins and lighting effects, we managed to create a very successful underground atmosphere. In the trunk, a full load of PXP flip-flops! Clappers that have become a staple of today's streetwear (thanks to rappers and NBA players), and which seem to make the Sevran rapper very happy. In any case, he flashes a wry smile as he poses in front of the trunk. On his shoulders, an outfit from the Graffiti capsule, one of our most successful recent releases. A jogging bottoms Graffiti, in a gradient from purple to green, with the Graffiti hoodie, also in a gradient in the same hues. It's a very streetwise ensemble, but at the same time very warm, in a summery mood. We're really pleased with the rendering at Project X, because we know that DA Uzi really appreciates track suits with jacket + tracksuit bottoms, which we've seen in several of his videos.
Same setting, but a slightly different mood, this time with something a little darker, but which is a pretty important piece for us. We're known for being good with velvet, and here's an example, with this black ensemble from the Waffle capsule. Black embossed velvet "jogpants" for the bottom, the hoodie in embossed velvet for the top and you're all set. Add to this the killer detail of the PXP satchel slung over the shoulder, and you've got a streetwear outfit that's the epitome of a streetwise adventurer. No wonder it looks so good on DA Uzi! The advantage of this outfit is its apparent simplicity at first glance, and as you get closer, you see more and more little details that enrich it all. The rapper and I then stuck to these black shades, but we decided to liven things up a bit by giving him the "Underground" capsule. The artist wears it perfectly: an oversized hoodie with street art print on the torso, with jogging bottoms that also have the same street art prints, for a very successful "men's outfit" effect. Combined with a pair of white Nike shoes, the result is an outfit with a really effective look.
Finally, we gave DA Uzi what is perhaps our greatest classic: our outfit. Signature. As you can see, the signature collection is very streamlined, very minimalist, trying in the design to get closer to luxury models, while retaining a street identity that is very dear to us. For the rapper, we immediately opted for a signature set, with the unisex hoodie coupled with the signature jogging bottoms with logo embroidery. All in the same color, a soft green that fits in well with the setting in which the photos were taken. DA Uzi, proudly installed on his BMX repainted in the same colors, seems to be really enjoying his outfit, to which he's added a little black pannier, with a Project X Paris bob for a very streety look. In short, a memorable shoot with DA Uzi, who was impeccable, authentic and true to himself. Just like in his music!
WHO WE ARE
Project X Paris is the wager of two young French designers to combine the art of urban living with current trends. It's a delicious blend of fashion, culture and minimalism. Combining Lifestyle and streetwear, the young brand born in 2015 conquered major cities such as Dubai, Berlin, London and Los Angeles before settling in Paris.
To find out more about all our collab previews :
#STAYCONNECTED