PXP continues its visit to the famous Bat 7, the building that has probably given the most rappers to the History of French Rap. This time, it's Bolémvn who honors us with his energy, one of the biggest heavyweights of the Seven Binks team, with an incredible photoshoot.
The musical touch of Building 7
French rap has still not recovered from the breath of fresh air that blew from the 91 to the rest of the game, in the mid-2000s. Whether it's Ninho, Niska, or even PNL, we can say that almost all the biggest rappers of recent years have a foot in Essonne? Is it a coincidence? Probably not, because the department has a truly atypical profile where everything mixes: very urban landscapes where all origins blend, African, Latin, but also much greener and much more isolated areas, closer to the image we might have of the countryside. It's this carefully dosed mix that has delivered an incredible number of talents to French Rap, coming from Évry, or Corbeil. Among them, one of the teams that has made the most noise is that of Building 7, this now famous tower in the Parc aux Lièvres housing project in Évry, from where we've seen Koba La D, Kodes, Shotas emerge, but also Bolémvn, who is one of the most prominent members of the team. It's not a coincidence: the rapper has a very atypical profile in the middle of the group, with notably a search for musicality, in flows and in instrumentals, that we don't necessarily find elsewhere.
It's this musicality that is the artist's strength, a sense of melody that he acquired as his career progressed. In his early days, like many of his Bat 7 friends, he had a lot of energy to spare and street stories to tell, as in the very first clip on his YouTube channel, "Walter White", a nod to the character from the famous Netflix series "Breaking Bad". Young Bolé also has many pop culture references in his tracks, sometimes well hidden, a point that makes him stand out even more. In interviews or in tracks, you can feel that his universe is rich and that he has worked on all aspects of his artistic career, not hesitating to stage himself in music videos. Already very strong at a young age for kickage, he has gradually evolved to offer sometimes much more danceable tracks, likely to reach many more people than the aggressive trap practiced in Évry during those years. As for his friend Koba La D, the attempt was quickly transformed and while he has not yet reached the same notoriety as Koba, today Bolémvn is one of the rappers who carry weight in this industry, with a very distinct identity.
Again, this is no coincidence as the rapper has been a workaholic since his beginnings. More than forty music videos on his channel in less than 6 years, and all this without talking about the whole team adventure, with Seven Binks, which includes many very productive artists. Bolémvn is on a high rhythm and we can feel that he didn't want to let his chance pass by, with 6 solo albums released since 2018, can you imagine. By the way, the latest one, "Vol 169 atterrissage", was released just a few months ago. But this year he also participated in "Monument", the Seven Binks album released just a few days ago. No time to rest, the rapper is determined to take it all. That's probably why he's such a good and willing interviewee, with a lot of humor and frankness, even if it means creating very funny situations or controversies. But Bolémvn doesn't care, because he is authentic and doesn't play a character when he appears publicly or on the mic. He remains true to himself and it's precisely this natural side that is interesting.
Bolemvn & Project X Paris, it flows naturally
At PXP, we're not very fond of people who play at being stars or whose behavior changes in front of the cameras, and it's good because Bolémvn has no intention of playing a role. The tone is set from the first outfit from the Underground capsule: a pink ensemble with street art printed shorts, and the oversized t-shirt that goes with it, all worn with a pair of sneakers and white socks pulled up to the max, very trendy in summer outfits in recent years. All this in a crazy setting put together by our designers at Project X, with a large hangar, in front of a very old-style vehicle that seems straight out of "Mad Max: Fury Road". The rapper maintains a reserved, rather mysterious attitude, which doesn't prevent him from posing very well. For the second part of the shoot, we kept the same place, with the same car, but changed the outfit: this time, we opted for the "Relax" style, recognizable by its knitted clothes and quite minimalist designs. This time, the artist put on a yellow knit crewneck sweater, with a white stripe on the side. For the joggers, we obviously opted for the same color, the same texture for a successful ensemble effect.
At this point, Bolémvn gradually begins to loosen up and feel more and more comfortable, you can see it on his face. So it's time to move him on to something more avant-garde: the "ComfortWear" capsule. It's a bit in the same mood as the previous one, but this one goes much further, offering clothes that are all in a "ribbed" style, like the corduroy pants worn in the past. Now, this texture is coming back to the forefront of trends and the rapper wears it all beautifully: a khaki-colored ribbed shirt, with the double logo on the front, and textured pants of the same color, again with the double Project X Paris logo. Even when we make him wear the most avant-garde streetwear clothes,the artist doesn't hesitate and in this somewhat street warehouse setting where we find a luxurious barber's chair, he continues to let loose for our greatest pleasure. So it's time to move on to a new outfit, a bit more classic this time but still as effective: the "Signature" outfit, from the collection of the same name. This one, we don't need to introduce it to you anymore, as it's one of our biggest successes since the brand's beginnings in 2015. With a small change this time, as we decided to give him a signature hoodie + signature joggers set in beige, which gives an almost golden aspect with the warehouse's lighting effects.
Finally, the last outfit tried during the photoshoot is a black ensemble consisting of a crewneck sweatshirt and sweatpants. White doves adorn the top and bottom, and you can also see a new reworked logo, with a slightly stylized font and some additional writing underneath. On the upper back, the "Project X Paris" logo is written larger, but with the same typography. A change of scenery for this last outfit, with a setting that could be that of a showcase or a concert, but in a very street version. We find Bolémvn at ease, microphone in hand, performing in front of a large red sheet dotted with "PXP" graffiti. He even took the spray can to have some fun himself. We had an excellent time with the rapper from Évry and we were really able to put together something original and stylish for this photoshoot, so we hope to do it again soon, wishing him all the best for the future!
PXP THE BLOG
Want to learn more about our collaboration with Bolemvn? Come quickly discover our article dedicated to the rapper from 7Binks:
WHO ARE WE?
The Project X Paris brand was founded in 2015 by two French designers who wanted to combine urban lifestyle with current haute couture trends. Blending lifestyle and streetwear, the young brand has managed to conquer major cities like London and Dubai and continues today to expand throughout France, with more and more stores.