- label Streetwear and urban culture news
- comment 0 comments
If Évry has once again become one of the most important cities in the French rap game, it's also thanks to the Bâtiment 7 team. And within the team, certain individuals stand out, like Bolémvn. A raw talent with multiple musical facets, and of course we love that about him. Project X Paris !
Melodrama in the skin
The success story of the entire Bâtiment 7 team is quite incredible. The story begins around 2015 in Evry, in building number 7 of the Parc aux Lièvres housing estate in Evry, a large, cosmopolitan city in the Essonne region where urban culture is booming. It was then that Koba La D and Kodes began to unveil their first tracks to the public. As is often the case in French rap, critics were initially rather harsh, especially with Koba and his special way of rapping, playing on his vocal intonations. Today, the entire Bat 7 team, united under the "Seven Binks" banner, is clearly established and identified in the rap world, with almost everyone earning certifications and having a major influence on the French rap scene. It's no coincidence that they've worked so hard to get where they are. Like Bolémvn, for example, who has come a long way since his official solo debut in 2016, with the video for "Walter White". Basically, he and his team share the same rap influences, namely the new trap generation, the one coming after Migos or Gucci Mane: Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert and a whole host of other American artists who play heavily on musicality. Whether it's in the instrus or in the vocals, it has to sound different, that's what's important.
Bolémvn quickly mastered the concept, not hesitating to use autotune, but also with very original choices of instrus. He also did some more classic, kicky trap, especially in his early days, to show everyone that he too could rap hard. The rapper is really very versatile and today, he's just as capable of rapping a long verse over a trap instrument as he is of singing a chorus over a few bars of drill, and the fact that he's at ease everywhere isn't given to everyone. It's also a sign of great musical sensitivity, which facilitates his adaptation because he quickly understands the codes in which he evolves and can quickly have fun with these codes. When you listen to his music today, as in his two latest projects, "Anarchiste" and "Vol 169 Atterrissage", you quickly notice the place taken by African or Caribbean sounds, more rhythmic and warmer than those of trap or "classic" drill. In fact, the influence of African music on French rap is somewhat unique in the world. Whereas in the United States, rappers distanced themselves early on from the music of their ancestors, in France the various communities retain a strong link with the culture of their elders.
Right from the intro to his latest album, "Vol 169 Atterrissage", we're put on notice: Bolémvn's music doesn't just make you nod, it also makes you move. All the while, its themes are very streetwise, very raw, about street stories, problems with the police and curvaceous women. Bolémvn remains more than ever a neighborhood guy, with his razor-sharp humor, his infectious laugh and also his charbonneur side. 6 solo projects since 2018 for the rapper from 91, who also took part in the three Seven Binks collective projects. He's also a frequent interviewee, because of course, with his candor and humor, that makes him an excellent client for the rap media. Another aspect that doesn't come to the fore much when we talk about Bolémvn, but that interests us a lot at Project X Paris, is the way he works on his image and that of his videos. All his latest videos contain very strong visual elements, whether in his outfits, the shots, the movements or the way they are choreographed, everything is very well worked out.
The Bolemvn x PXP collab
The rapper never ceases to find new outfits, new hairstyles and new styles in each of his videos, which has become a crucial aspect for today's rappers. It's out of the question to have the same outfit twice in two different videos, unless that outfit is legendary or signifies something special in the artist's universe. Bolemvn's strength lies in the fact that he seems to be able to wear anything, especially streetwear. That's why at Project X Paris, we created a very "underground", very "dark" atmosphere for the shoot. The guiding principle was the desire to combine elements that evoke desolation and ruin with others that evoke luxury and class. From the very first outfit, we know we're on to something: an ensemble from the "Underground" capsule, with the shorts and the pink t-shirt street art prints and reworked logos. Add a pair of white sneakers, socks in the same color and a Ford car that looks both vintage and Mad Max-style post-apocalypse, and you've got an instant match. The same room, the same atmosphere and the same success with the two-tone "Relax" outfit in yellow and white, with a knitted round-neck sweater + knitted jogging bottoms that once again hit the spot.
For the second part of the shoot, we changed the decor a little, but kept the idea of a hangar in which you can find some very classy things. Like a barber's chair, for example, which shines brightly in the middle of the dark hangar. On it, Bolemvn poses, sometimes very naturally, sometimes menacingly, sometimes smiling. Here again, the outfits are very effective, starting with an ensemble made up of pieces from the "Comfort Wear" capsule, one of our most ambitious. Indeed, all the garments in the capsule are textured in a way reminiscent of corduroy, an ancient and very noble material that is coming back into fashion. The Mao collar shirt and textured pants in the same color are a real hit in the image. But perhaps the outfit in which he looks most comfortable and natural is the timeless "Signature", one of our iconic pieces. A hoodie signature beige, a jogging bottoms signature in the same color, and you've got an outfit that's both classy and understated, a return to the basics of streetwear.
Finally, the last outfit is a novelty that has just come out of the oven! We were keen to get Bolémvn to test it out and tell us what he thought. And judging by his reaction during the shoot, it looks like he really liked it! Microphone in hand, in front of a big red canvas dotted with "PXP" tags, the rapper puts on a show with this latest outfit. It's a pretty good design, really: the ensemble consists of a black round-neck sweatshirt and black tracksuit bottoms, with loose-fitting strokes and doves printed all over, in various sizes. All with Project X Paris logos reworked a little, as you can see, notably on the back where the logo, with its specific typography, is surrounded by two birds. The visual effect is perfect, and we hope you'll like it too. We'd obviously like to thank Bolémvn for this highly successful collab, with an anthology shoot that is one of our most successful this year!
Comments (0)