Negrito with Project X Paris, ever more inventive

The rapper from the 77 did us the honor of joining us for a memorable photoshoot in several stages, and it's an opportunity for PXP to tell you in detail about the character of Negrito, who is one of the "kings of melody" in French rap.

Negrito, the unclassifiable rapper

It's not easy to categorize Negrito's career, as the rapper has so many strings to his bow. Officially in the game for over six years, his career is already dense and full, but above all, very varied. While he's seen today as one of those who best master the art of "melody" in rap, this way of singing while kicking, to make it catchy, we can't limit Negrito to just that. He knows how to do many other things and besides, he probably had the double influence of the more traditional music of his elders, and the pure and hard rap of his "big brothers" from the neighborhood. Because during his first appearances at the mic, the rapper was a kicker, even a shouter sometimes, when today he's also capable of going to sing, as in "Fiché", his latest single featuring L2B, or on several tracks from his latest album "Débrouillard", released in early 2024. On this project, he doesn't hesitate to explore the latest trends in vogue, like plugg, on the track "Clan" with Fresh LaDouille. Further proof of his very wide artistic palette.

Varied and full of potential, like the 77

We can't help but think that if he manages to switch from one style to another so well, it's also thanks to where he comes from, crossed by multiple influences. Negrito comes from Dammarie-les-Lys, in the 77. A department where huge neighborhoods and sometimes big cities, rub shoulders with the countryside and fields, with a rural/urban mix that actually reminds a lot of the 91. It's no coincidence that these are the two Ile-de-France departments that have been the most creative and diverse in rap over the last ten years. A department that has its former glories, its local stars, all creating a very dynamic scene: Uzi, Ninho, ISK, Timal, Negrito, not to mention the stars Djadja & Dinaz, we can say that there's real emulation in that corner and Negrito was able to benefit from all these influences and put them to good use, to build his universe, and his discography of 3 albums (for now).

Cinema and acting in his blood

Like all rappers of the new generation, Negrito has nourished his rap with well-digested references from elsewhere, notably from cinema, but also from sports like football for example. As for cinema, we should mention that he first made himself known, during the lockdown in 2020, thanks to a series of freestyles called "La Purge", which currently has six episodes. "The Purge" is that ultra-violent film that was a hit, a kind of horrific social satire in which Americans have the right to commit the worst crimes during a specific period, in order to get rid of their "impulses" and behave for the rest of the year. With, in the background, glaring social inequalities between different American citizens, some being able to barricade themselves at home while others are unfortunately forced to venture outside. A film that has deeply marked his musical universe, even if today, the influences are much more diverse in his music. However, his love for staging in his clips has remained, and that's good because it will serve us well at PXP!

Too Street and too stylish

This sense of staging will obviously serve us during the shoot. Even if, for some places, Negrito won't have had to make too much effort to adapt, since we took him, for example, to the street, right at the foot of the block, for a 100% authentic sequence guaranteed without frills. Even in terms of outfit, we went for very effective, with relative sobriety: the Urban Explorer shirt, paired with white cargo pants, worn with a small curb chain, that's enough to make a very "casual" and very summery outfit while remaining very street, but with a real touch of style, since the patterns on the shirt make it stand out quite quickly. Exactly what we like at Project X Paris: streetwear, but that can stand out from the ordinary.

Project X Paris and Negrito in California mode!

The rapper obviously gave us carte blanche regarding the photoshoot, the choice of locations, but also the number of participants and some "gadgets" and decorative elements. Our stylists outdid themselves and proposed a vibe we hadn't seen in our shoots before: a summery vibe, but more like early evening. No more blue sky, make way for electric lighting, and especially clothes that take us into a somewhat Californian atmosphere. All this, in the idea of matching the identity of the capsule collection from which the shoot pieces come: the new California Vibes capsule. We notably find the all-over palm tree polo, but especially the palm tree hoodie, because we repeat: no successful streetwear outfit without a good hoodie. All this with a pair of Jordans, and especially a cargo pants, and there you have Negrito dressed like never before. To lend him a hand, our stylists called in reinforcements, and all the extras adopted the unisex Essentials Project X Paris hoodie, in orange. And to push the California vibe to the max, we also brought a nice Dodge Ram, in orange and black, to match the colors of the participants' clothes. We told you, our stylists were inspired!

Comfortable in PXP even in the studio

For the last stage of the collaboration with Negrito, we wanted to take him out of his comfort zone. We created a mini photo studio with a nice silky green background, and some paintings. We'll find two outfits there, one of which is still composed of pieces from the California Vibes capsule: a shirt with palm print and shorts with the same print, all in white and green for a really hyper stylish overall effect, while staying true to the streetwear spirit. For the second outfit, we stay in a summer vibe, but a little warmer, for the evening for example: multi-pocket cargo pants, a timeless piece, and especially one of our best-sellers, still from the California Vibes capsule: the hoodie, with the palm print on the back and the white/cream color that is always so pleasant.

We really enjoyed our time with Negrito, with a truly creative and varied collaboration, reflecting the rapper's music. We hope you also notice that the photoshoots continue to improve in quality, and with the rapper from the 77, we were really able to let our imagination run wild - a real pleasure! We hope to do it again soon, wishing him all the best for the future from all the PXP teams.