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PXP is always on the lookout for talent and influencers to collaborate with and grow the brand. But sometimes, it's the artists themselves who send us the love, as is often the case with Ghenda. Beatmaker, singer, collaborator with some of the biggest names, focus on the man you're going to be hearing a lot more about in the next few years.
Ghenda, the hidden talent
In the history of French rap, we've seen a lot of artists who were considered to be men in the shadows, but whose work had great importance and recognition in the milieu. If the public doesn't know them, it's usually due to a lack of aggressive communication, but the talent is there. Ghenda is one of them. The artist, who hails from Viry-Châtillon in the 91 region of France, has many strings to his bow, having first made a name for himself as a beatmaker. In particular, he worked on the huge hit "MMM", by Naza, one of the highlights of 2017, but also of the following year, with the victory of the Blues in the World Cup, who all danced to Ghenda and Binguy's instrumentation, as witnessed by numerous stories on the networks. What's more, he was also part of the team behind the instrumentation for Aya Nakamura's mega-hit "Comportement". And the list doesn't stop there: he's worked on several tracks by Niska, Keblack, Zola, Sam's, the rapper-actor behind "Validé", Benash, Kalash Criminel, and even appears in the writing credits for a Florent Pagny track, "Je veux en voir encore". In short, he's worked with all the greats, or almost all of them, but also for a host of other lesser-known rappers and artists.
For Ghenda is above all passionate about music and rhythms. That's probably why he also wanted to move over to the other side of the microphone and make his own tracks, and even two solo projects in 2020 and 2021. Again, with success. Like his feat with Hiro, "Toi et moi on se sait" (You and I know each other), which topped the million-view mark. While the work on this side of the mic may not yet have enjoyed huge success, it shouldn't be long before it does, because the quality is more than present, it's everywhere. The instrus are effective, and the atmospheres, both soaring and very danceable, are very successful. In short, it's a faultless record for this artist from '91. At the same time, it's only to be expected, given that 91 has virtually become the music capital of France over the last ten years. There's a real buzz of culture in the area, and that's certainly helped him connect quickly with the big local artists, like Niska and others. In contact with all these hit-makers, he continued to work on his musicality and melodies, and today is a truly accomplished and versatile artist. He has nothing to envy the big names in the game, except perhaps visibility.
But then again, Ghenda is working on it. Not too much, as he prefers to concentrate on music, but he does have an Instagram account with over 13,000 followers, which he feeds regularly with posts and stories (more on that later). He also does a lot of remixes and covers, notably on Spotify, again with a fair amount of success. In his videos, he works more and more on the visual side, as well as the clothing side, often accompanied by his sunglasses and very stylish outfits. While his music is heavily influenced by African and island rhythms (rumba, zumba, raggaeton), Ghenda's sartorial styling is not afraid to indulge in exuberance à la Kanye West, a master in his field, or in sunnier outfits. It's a versatility we at Project X Paris love!
Ghenda & PXP, true love
We've also worked with him quite a bit. Particularly at our inauguration parties and special events, where he was often in charge of the atmosphere as DJ, and there he was obviously on top form. We'd like to thank him for that, but also for all the times he's sent us his strength through the networks, by posting photos or videos in which he wears Project X pieces. Or even in his clips: in the video for "LOSSA", in 2020, he wore an old jacket from our "Graffiti" collection, still available and updated since then. A very street style, for a track that looks quite mellow, but whose lyrics are all about the street and fast life. An aspect of Ghenda's personality not to be overlooked, as is the case with all the real boys from '91. Another must-have piece of kit streetwear of winter, the down jacket. Here again, he made the most original choice, with the reflective, quilted PXP down jacket for the "Parlons peu parlons bien" video.
In fact, we're often present in his videos, as in the clip for "Dope", one of his best tracks, where he dresses up right at the start of the video by putting on a Project X Paris jacket over a "Dope" jacket. t-shirt PXP. The jacket is part of a "blue/clouds" ensemble that suits him well, with his sunglasses and elaborate cut. Ghenda's got style, he knows it, and he likes to play it up, a personality trait that's almost mandatory in today's French rap scene. Gone are the days when everyone wore the same Tacchini tracksuit and the same cap; every artist has to have his or her own style, because image is too important, much more so than it used to be.
We really wanted to focus on Ghenda, a great artist of the French urban movement whose work deserves to be better known. Our role at PXP can't be limited to collaborating with artists at the height of their buzz, we also have an obligation to help you discover the new talent that passes before our eyes, and clearly, this is one of them! We obviously wish him all the best for the future, and hope to see him again very soon at one of our opening nights, where his presence is synonymous with great sound in general!
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