Negrito with PXP, always more inventive

The rapper from the 77 honored us by joining us for a memorable multi-stage photoshoot, giving PXP the opportunity to talk in detail about Negrito, one of the "kings of melody" in French rap.|NEXT|Not easy to classify Negrito’s career, as the rapper has many strings to his bow. Officially in the game for over six years, his career is already dense and filled but above all, very varied. While he is now seen as one of the best masters of the "melody" art in rap—singing while rapping to make it catchy—we can’t limit Negrito to that. He can do many other things and probably had the double influence of traditional music from his elders and the pure rap of his "big brothers" from the neighborhood. Early on, he was a kicker, even a shouter sometimes, but today he can also sing, as in "Fiché," his latest single featuring L2B, or on several tracks from his latest album "Débrouillard," released early 2024. On this project, he explores the latest trends like plugg on the track "Clan" with Fresh LaDouille, proving his wide artistic range.|NEXT|We can’t help but think that his ability to switch styles so well is also thanks to where he comes from, influenced by many things. Negrito is from Dammarie-les-Lys, in the 77. A department where huge neighborhoods and sometimes big towns coexist with countryside and fields, with a rural/urban mix reminiscent of the 91. Not a coincidence that these two departments are the most creative and diverse in rap in the Paris region over the last ten years. A department with old glories, local stars, creating a very dynamic scene: Uzi, Ninho, ISK, Timal, Negrito, and of course Djadja & Dinaz. There’s real emulation there, and Negrito has benefited from all these influences to build his universe and his discography of 3 albums so far.|NEXT|Like all rappers of the new generation, Negrito has nourished his rap with well-digested references from elsewhere, notably cinema and sports like football. Regarding cinema, he first became known during the 2020 lockdown thanks to a series of freestyles called "La Purge," which has six episodes so far. "La Purge" is that ultra-violent film that was a hit, a sort of social horror satire where Americans can commit the worst crimes during a specific period to get rid of their "urges" and behave the rest of the year. In the background, glaring social inequalities between citizens, some barricading themselves while others are forced outside. This film deeply marked his musical universe, even if today his influences are more diverse. However, his love for staging in his clips remains, which suits us well at PXP!|NEXT|This sense of staging obviously helped during the shoot. Even if, for some locations, Negrito didn’t have to try too hard to adapt, as we took him to the street, right at the foot of the block, for a 100% authentic sequence with no frills. Even in terms of outfit, we went for very effective simplicity: the Urban Explorer shirt paired with white cargo pants and a small bracelet, making a very "relaxed" and summery outfit while staying very street but with a real style touch, as the shirt’s patterns make it stand out quickly. Exactly what we like at Project X Paris: streetwear that can stand out.|NEXT|Negrito obviously gave us carte blanche for the shoot, choosing locations, number of participants, and some props and decor elements. Our stylists outdid themselves and proposed a vibe we hadn’t seen in our shoots so far: a summery vibe but rather early evening. No more blue sky, now electric lighting and clothes that take us to a Californian atmosphere. All to match the capsule identity the shooting pieces come from: the new California Vibes capsule. We 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 paired with a pair of Jordans and especially cargo pants, and Negrito is dressed like never before. To support him, our stylists called in reinforcements, and the extras all wore the unisex Essentials Project X Paris hoodie in orange. To push the California vibe to the max, we also brought a nice orange and black Dodge Ram to match the participants’ clothes colors. We told you, our stylists were inspired!|NEXT|They loved seeing him in a more intimate setting at the Project X Paris store in Brussels, located at 59 chaussée d'Ixelles. We also had a little surprise for Belgian fans: Fresh came for a signing session at our Brussels store on May 10. He arrived wearing our iconic piece: the Essentials hoodie. In black, always, with a bandana, as usual. We can say without exaggeration that Fresh is clearly one of the rappers who wears it best, even though he’s far from the first to try.|NEXT|Always with a big smile, the Belgian rapper, almost at home (he’s from Liège, not exactly nearby), showed infinite patience and good humor with all the fans who came to meet him, and there were many, as you could see from the images circulating on social media. It’s a great opportunity to see that his popularity is real! The fact that Fresh fills the room even when he just does a signing session in one of our Project X Paris stores shows people want to see him, and he now has open doors to deliver a classic album! That’s all we wish for him, hoping to collaborate again as soon as possible!