DA Uzi, the raw street soul

If Sevran has become, in about 5 years, one of the capitals of French rap, rapper DA Uzi is not unrelated to it. With his sincere lyrics, raw writing style, the emotion and intensity he puts into his tracks, he has managed to touch the hearts of authentic rap fans. The one who has already lived 1000 lives at only 30 years old continues his success story, he even collaborated with Project X Paris!

Ten years ago, the rare times Sevran was mentioned in the media, it was for news stories, to reinforce the anxious discourse about "the suburbs". But since then, Kaaris came along, with his national breakthrough, bringing along many talented and ambitious Sevran rappers who wanted to show the world that in Sevran, they rap, and they rap hard! Maes, 13 Block, Kalash Criminel, and DA Uzi, the stars of the game from the city in the 93 are numerous. All unique artists, with strong personalities and charisma. But DA Uzi has something extra: this very sincere, authentic side that sometimes makes the listener uncomfortable with his frankness, with a raw energy that shines through almost every track. It's actually a bit the rapper's trademark. Although he's been in the game for a long time, it took him a while to seriously commit to rap, having had a somewhat chaotic youth. Talented at football, but also at hustling, it was in 2017 that the rapper started making a lot of noise, through a series of freestyles published on Youtube, "La D en Personne".

A series of freestyles whose videos were mostly shot at the bottom of Sevran buildings, where DA Uzi wore out his soles on the asphalt. He talks about his daily life, troubles, jealousy, resourcefulness, aggressive cops, with a sincerity, realism, and a very effective "raw" side. Another particular point, the rapper does not hesitate to rap shouting, with a naturally strong voice, giving him both a very raw edge, but also a bit "crazy", a bit "possessed" on the mic. This whole cocktail makes him stand out, unlike any other artist, and so he leaves a mark. Yet he struggled to fully commit to music, because, as he rapped in "Rentre dans le Cercle", "back in the day I was ashamed to be a rapper, tomorrow I'll be proud if it pays my mother's rent." Five years later, we can imagine he is proud: videos with millions of views, hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, a real status in the game, we can say the success story is beautiful, for someone who had joined a pre-training center to become a pro footballer, before being kicked out for dribbling too much to his coach's taste.

DA Uzi, although he hasn't lifted the Ballon d'Or, has several gold and even platinum records to his name. Since 2017 he has worked hard: 5 albums, notably "Mexico" which did very well, but also "Vrai 2 Vrai" in 2021, and this year he released his latest project, "Le Chemin des braves", in April. An album featuring big collaborations (Naps, Lacrim, Gazo, Ninho, OldPee), but on which he pushed his musical work even further. While we still get the "special DA Uzi" tracks, there are also much more melodic titles, both in the instrumentals and in the voice. Because the rapper, who now seems a bit more at peace and confident in his role as an artist, has evolved his image. Smiling, accessible, with a lot to share in interviews, especially his love for solo travel, he is truly taking on a new dimension. And that, at Project X Paris, naturally interests us a lot!

While he always keeps his 100% street label, the rapper does not hesitate to put himself more in the spotlight, to open up more. When the opportunity arose for us to work with him, we immediately jumped at the chance to have him wear our most ambitious, most street streetwear outfits. We can already say it was one of our best photoshoots of 2022, because DA Uzi has that energy straight from the streets, so he is the best placed to wear these kinds of pieces with the right attitude. Like the outfit from the "Graffiti" capsule, with its color gradient from purple to blue/green, and a set of hoodie + jogging bottoms that are among the most street and effective. All worn with a shiny but discreet watch, and a pair of white sneakers, the classic, a perfect score. A little killer detail, the German ride's trunk loaded with Project X Paris slides, a very trendy piece for several seasons now.

Since we were on graffiti, we took the opportunity to have him try the "Underground" capsule, which features prints in a street-art style on the clothes. Once again, DA Uzi wore the whole set, and once again, it kills! The outfit is crazy, with the oversized hoodie, the street art printed jogging bottoms, in black to keep a bit of a street and dark side, really a success. And since we're on the dark side, we also have to talk about the "Waffle" outfit, also very effective on the rapper. A set all in embossed velvet, hence the capsule's name. The PXP logos scattered on the fabrics look like they were iron-branded or printed with a waffle iron, with a fabric that gives a slightly "shiny" look to this very black set. With his hoodie and men's sweatpants, while keeping his watch and white sneakers, it gives a very street and really successful outfit.

But DA Uzi also wears lighter and somewhat brighter toned sets very well. This is perhaps the most successful part of the shoot and we can thank the graphic designers and photographers who worked on this "locker + khaki BMX" vibe, the images really have an incredible look. In a place converted into a locker room + garage (with car wheels), we find the rapper in an incredible green Signature set that suits him perfectly. It's not necessarily the most common or most worn color, but it is both very simple, very clean, and very street. The signature hoodie + jogging bottoms set is one of our biggest successes and we are very happy to see it so well worn by the Sevran rapper. We wish him all the best for the rest of his career, and we have no doubt: given the energy DA Uzi has, whether rapping, in interviews, or posing in front of the camera, you are likely to hear about him for a long time to come!