The banger has become an inevitable exercise in French rap, and in this game, Gambino La MG is one of the best. The young rapper from Les Ulis started rapping not so long ago, but he already has an impressive discography, and a real ease in front of cameras and lenses. The proof is in this collab between the rapper and PXP!
Les Ulis, a breeding ground for rappers
Si on doit dresser une liste des endroits qui ont fortement marqué et influencé le rap français, le 91 est en bonne posture. Mais même dans le 91, il y a des écoles, des influences, des filiations, parmi les rappeurs des années 90 jusqu'à nos jours. L'école d'Evry, de Grigny, de Corbeil, mais également celle des Ulis, qui a connu un sacré coup de projecteur dans les années 2000 sous l'impulsion de Sinik et son monstrueux succès national. Mais « Niksi », comme on l'appelle aujourd'hui, n'était que la face émergée de l'iceberg et le vivier des très bons rappeurs des Ulis, quoique moins connus, est énorme : Grödash, et plein d'autres, avec pour presque tous une vraie maîtrise du kickage, mais aussi des clashs, des battles. Un peu les combattants du rap game, donc, avec des styles plutôt punchy, un rap assez énervé et assez street. Des aspects qu'on retrouve, 20 ans plus tard, chez Gambino La MG, jeune rappeur originaire du même quartier. C'est d'ailleurs tout sauf un hasard, puisqu'il cite régulièrement les glorieux anciens de sa rue comme des influences, des gens qui lui ont donné envie de rapper.
Avec ses potes des Ulis, ils ont créé un grand groupe Facebook pour tous les jeunes de leur ville voulant rapper. Le groupe s'est appelé « La MG », pour Mauvaise Graine, deux lettres qui n'ont plus quitté le pseudo de Gambino depuis. Lorsqu'ils ont voulu sortir un vrai morceau pour la première fois, les 7 plus sérieux se sont réunis et c'est ainsi qu'est petit à petit né le collectif La MG tel qu'on le connaît aujourd'hui. Mais plus le temps passe, et plus le jeune rappeur a également envie de tenter l'aventure en solo, en particulier après un confinement assez difficile pendant l'année 2020. Il commence alors via Instagram une série de freestyles numérotés, assez courts, pour devenir le plus viral possible, et c'est une réussite : certains comptent aujourd'hui plusieurs millions de vues, même après avoir été re-publiés sur Youtube. On ne le répétera jamais assez, mais la maîtrise de ses réseaux sociaux est devenue inévitable pour les rappeurs actuels, et Gambino La MG s'en sort très bien. Tellement bien qu'il fini par se faire remarquer par Sony, qui signe le jeune rappeur via son label Hall Access.
Following the lightning success of his Insta freestyles series, he decided to follow this up with a series of featurings, in order to generate streams, visibility and money. A good idea, which led to him taking part in "Rentre Dans le Cercle", the show hosted by Fianso, as well as in "Classico Organisé", a multi award-winning project. At the same time, he also unveiled his first solo project, "En attendant Gambinerie", a hidden reference to one of Sinik's first solo projects, "En attendant l'album", released in 2004. For Gambino, it's a big 21-track project to introduce himself to a wider audience, announcing an album, "Gambinerie", which he will release in 2022. The rapper from 91, who is of Congolese descent, has now established himself comfortably in the French rap scene, with his music influenced by both drill and African sounds. With all these featurings and participations in various projects, the artist has shown that, in addition to being a hard worker, he is also versatile and at ease in all moods. And that, at Project X Paris, is something we love!
Gambino la MG & PXP, gangsta attitude
The good thing about these new-generation rappers is that most of them know how to control their image, manage it and even play with it, not hesitating to put themselves on stage. It's a refreshing change of pace, compared with the austere, strict image of the older generation. For Gambino, image is easy: he made his name on Instagram. So we were able to show him a whole range of outfits during the shoot, with a common thread being his desire to maintain a "gangsta rapper" image/attitude imported from the USA. The first outfit is a cult college style, which is very present in the rap game. The "Varsity" capsule is very inspired by this kind of piece, and the rapper wears it perfectly, in front of the all-white Lamborghini. A two-tone logo hoodie with the big "P" logo, whose typography recalls that of college sports teams in the States. And, of course, jogging bottoms with two-tone stripes, for a great overall effect. Add a small pair of white TNs to complete the ensemble, and you've got a very effective outfit.
But the rapper hasn't finished with the Lambo, and the second outfit is truly emblematic of the street baroudeur in France. A pretty white bob on his head, and an ensemble from the brand-new High Fly capsule, one of our must-haves for back-to-school 2022. Below, loose jogging pants with dove motifs, in blue, paired with a pair of white TNs. On top, the dove-patterned loose sweatshirt, again in blue, for an effective overall effect. Last but not least, the little touch that makes it all: the square shoulder bag with its coin purse, all adorned with Project X Paris logos. A style truly emblematic of today's French streetwear, very street, very functional and at the same time very chic and sharp. We then abandoned the Lambo for something more aggressive, a Yamaha snowmobile, and gave Gambino the MG, an outfit inspired by the gangsta codes of US rap. The Squad capsule is back, with new models for back-to-school 2022. Baseball-style striped jogging pants for the bottoms, a baseball-style striped hoodie with a big logo on the torso for the top, and a pair of black sneakers, for a hyper street outfit. Especially if you add the ski mask, a cult item in today's gangsta rap imagery.
We couldn't leave Gambino without letting him try on various pieces from the "Drill & Drip" capsule, which is fast becoming a must-have for this winter. The capsule features quilted parkas and down jackets, which not only keep you warm in December, but have also become essential items in the outfits of Drill & Drip enthusiasts. You could almost say that this capsule was designed for Gambino, who has rapped a lot in this style of music. Still wearing his ski mask, he donned a small sleeveless down jacket over a white hoodie, the whole with beige multi-pocket cargo pants for the bottom. Add a pair of Nike's and you've got a pretty iconic outfit for a driller. But it works even better with the large parka slipped on just after, a must-have piece in today's streetwear, since the advent of the UK drill. All this, still with that Yamaha snowmobile, a reminder of the icy atmosphere that can sometimes prevail in the street. It was a pleasure to collaborate with Gambino la MG on this shoot, which produced some truly incredible photos. We wish him all the best for the future!
WHO WE ARE
Project X Paris is the desire to carry the streetwear movement since 2015 with increasingly stylish collaborations. A French brand of hype clothing available in over 30 stores, at more than 1500 retailers worldwide and on projectxparis.com 7d/7 24h/24