Si on devait choisir 10 chansons qui ont marqué le rap game ces dix dernières années, Kalash serait présent dans le top. Avec "Mwaka Moon", il a explosé les charts. Mais sa carrière est beaucoup plus riche et longue que ce simple succès, l'artiste a réussi à s'imposer comme une référence mondiale, notamment dans le dancehall. Il est aussi une des personnalités les plus stylées du game et ça, chez Project X Paris, on adore !
Kalash, Caribbean idol
For a long time, the sound of the French West Indies suffered from a lack of visibility in France. Even in the French West Indies, the media didn't necessarily reflect the diversity of the local music scene, and dancehall in particular was kept under wraps in mainland France for a long time. While West Indian communities were obviously always connected with what was going on locally, the rest of the population was not necessarily aware of it. Until the explosion of Admiral T. In the mid-2000s, the Guadeloupean star enjoyed incredible success with his music, heavily influenced by dancehall and reggae, in which the West Indian identity is omnipresent. He has even managed to turn songs on which he sings in Creole, a language he has little mastery of in mainland France, into hits. His success even extended far beyond French and West Indian borders, and paved the way for what was to follow. And what followed shortly afterwards was the Kalash phenomenon. Obviously very influenced and inspired by the star's music, Kalash launched his own musical career in the early 2010s.
Une carrière pas forcément naturelle, pour celui qui est fils d'un professeur de philosophie, et élevé dans un cadre très religieux, en ayant fréquenté quasiment que des établissements religieux pendant toute sa scolarité. Mais le père de Kalash était aussi mélomane et fan de Lenny Kravitz, tout comme son fils. Et au vu de la suite de sa carrière, on imagine que Kalash s'est beaucoup inspiré notamment du sens du style de Lenny, de ce côté showman, qui brille, en étant généreux avec le public. Il commence à faire ses armes dans le dancehall en 2003, il y a presque 20 ans déjà, alors qu'il n'est pas majeur. Il sort un premier album en 2010, et commence à avoir une véritable visibilité localement. Puis en 2013, il sort un second album, sur lequel figurera un featuring avec la légende Admiral T. Une consécration en soi mais Kalash ne vas pas s'arrêter là. Son single "Bando" avec des vibes très gangsta va faire un carton jusqu'en France, pareil pour l'album qui a suivi, "Kaos".
This time, there were two featurings with Booba, who signed the artist to his label, and the gold disc was achieved in less than two months. A huge achievement, but nothing compared to the tidal wave that was to follow. This tsunami is called "Mwaka Moon", and it will sweep away all the competition in its path. With this album, Kalash succeeded in imposing a real musical style, moving between singing and rapping, with very little use of autotune, as he is fortunate enough to sing very well. Even the graphics of the clips are a slap in the face, whether for the single "Mwaka Moon" or the video for the track "Y en a vla", which is also extremely beautiful. With this project, Kalash achieved true star status, and since then he has given free rein to his creativity with two albums, "Diamond Rock" in 2019 and "Tombolo", released in April 2022. These are projects in which the artist has multiplied his feats, with all the game's headliners, including Gazo, Damso and Wejdene. He goes where he's not expected, and continues to surprise and diversify with each release. And we at Project X love that!
Kalash & PXP: 100% stylish
Visually, Kalash has broken new ground with each project, with ever more stylish and original outfits. All the while maintaining a very street image, even when he had the opportunity to walk the runway for the Blue Marble brand at Fashion Week 2020. Inevitably, this fits in well with the image of our brand, so we were delighted to be able to do this collaboration with him. He lent himself perfectly to the game, having already a fair amount of experience in the field, so it was pretty easy right from the first outfit. An outfit from the 90's capsule, with two-tone stripes for a sober yet classy look. A white jacket with brown stripes, a stylized logo and a clean, old-fashioned design, with two-tone yoke pants in the same stripe colors. Worn with white sneakers and a few jewels, it makes for a crazy look. The same goes for the oversized varsity-style jacket with embroidered patches, again inspired by the 90's, with a brown color that's very effective. Above all, it fits in perfectly with the decor, a sort of undergound garage, with a circle of candles on the floor adding a touch of mystique. And to add a bit of ruggedness, we brought along this little Apollo Sano Predator quad with its aggressive look.
Kalash has a flair for detail, as he added a PXP shoulder bag to his jacket, further reinforcing the street look. We then went for something even more American in its influences, with the University capsule, inspired by the clothes worn by American students in the colors of their campus. In a more musical setting, with a white backdrop and speakers stacked everywhere, Kalash wore the white-and-green-colored University ensemble perfectly. A pair of white and green striped varsity jogging bottoms, and a varsity hoodie in the same colors, with a big central "P" as a logo. Add a pair of sunglasses for attitude, then finish the look with a visually striking oversized quilted varsity jacket in the same colors. The result is a perfect outfit that pays homage to iconic streetwear pieces.
The same setting for the last part of the shoot, but with a change of colors! Make way for wintry black and slightly darker outfits, with the classic outfit Signature Project X Paris. Our emblematic outfit, if we can call it that, the one that continues to make us famous, and Kalash wears it with simplicity and style. A black signature PXP hoodie for the top, black signature jogging bottoms for the bottom, with a shiny watch and bracelet for a touch of light, and once again, it's flawless. We even took the liberty of adding a quilted vest from the "Drill & Drip" capsule, one of our latest releases, which features the winter wear favored by drillers. All worn with a balaclava, of course, an indispensable tool for all those in the drill. In short, an excellent time spent with Kalash, who did his utmost to provide us with some beautiful shots. We hope to be able to renew this collaboration in the very near future, as we can tell he loves sapping, and we couldn't dream of a better PXP ambassador. We wish him all the best for the rest of his career, which promises to be incredible.