- label Music
- remove_red_eye 26736 views
As rap continues to establish itself as a major cultural phenomenon in France, Netflix has been smart in offering a brand new program 100% dedicated to rap that has been a great success. A jury of stars, competitors who want to win it all, and 100,000 euros at stake: make way for the "New School" of rap!
The very first televised Rap contest
If we go back just 10 years, it's hard to imagine that a program entirely dedicated to French rap could have been such a big hit. But things have moved in 10 years, and they have moved very fast. Rap and street culture have infiltrated everywhere, in movies, in TV shows, but also in series like "Validé". And almost every time, a huge success is on the agenda. This year we can say that Netflix has done well, unveiling a really very ambitious program for a French-speaking audience that might have been a bit reluctant in the past, but now seems passionate about the rap game. With "New School" Netflix offers a French adaptation of a show that has already become cult in the United States, "Rhythm + Flow", which is also a real hit, carried by the trio of judges T.I., Chance The Rapper and Cardi B. A jury of stars and industry insiders, with three very different profiles. For the French-speaking version, the casting also had to be on point. This was the case, with 3 headliners: the chief of the Charo Niska, the most famous Bad Girl from Belgium Shay, and the Marseille native who has been at the top of his game for years now, SCH. The concept is simple: the judges will have to unearth talents in their respective cities. These talents will compete through various rap-related challenges, such as freestyles, music videos, and on-stage battles. At stake, a nice check for 100,000 euros for the winner, and a solid reference on their CV for the rest of their career.
The jury
SCH
(Marseille)
NISKA
(Paris)
SHAY
(Brussels)
Beyond the competition between all these talents as well as the 3 stars of the jury, we were treated to an appearance of many personalities from the rap game. Soso Maness, notably, who was involved in the castings in Marseille but also Naps, or even Jul. We also saw Gradur or Isha come to help Shay for the castings in Brussels. Finally, we also had Guy2Bezbar who made an appearance, Tiakola, Ninho, but also Fianso, who came to give advice to young rappers for their future. In short, a beautiful panel of artists who all know what they're talking about, each with their own sensitivity, their own journey, who came to validate the program and give strength to the young ones. And that's the biggest success of "New School": giving a big boost to a new generation that's just waiting to bloom.
A real springboard for the new generation
Through this sometimes very tense competition, we discover a whole range of personalities who will undoubtedly be part of the rap landscape in the coming years. There are numerous names with interesting artistic proposals: BB Jacques, Leys, Fresh, Houssbad, KT Gorik, Vink, Elyon and many others, have brought a breath of fresh air at a time of the year when major rap releases were scarce. As a result, the public became passionate about the journey of all these artists, and the series quickly became the most discussed topic of the moment. A victory for culture but also a victory for all these young artists who will have had visibility that counts in the millions, as well as contacts with very important people in the industry. We imagine that collaborations are on the agenda between the rookies and the stars of the game, some have already started, and that's a good thing.
Obviously, not everything was perfect for this very first French-speaking season, and that's normal. The decisions made during the castings can be questioned, like for poor Ben PLG who had given a good performance. We can also regret that some candidates were put in "easier" conditions, with a casting done in the studio in complete privacy, while others had to rap in parking lots, or in front of an audience. We can also regret some slightly negative attitudes at times (but the candidates' emotions are strong, it's normal), as well as a slight lack of preparation for some artists, on certain challenges. But overall, this first season is very very successful, as evidenced by the program's audience and the streaming numbers of the competing artists, which continue to climb. We can also praise the level of female rappers, because the girls have shown that even if they are still underrepresented in the industry today, they have absolutely nothing to envy their male counterparts, even when it comes to hard rapping. And while some competitors "settled" for adopting very popular trends in rap, others tried completely new things, like KT Gorik, BB Jacques and a few others. A real positive point to add to the credit of this "New School" because at Project X Paris, what we prefer above all is originality. Moreover, with the presence of Jacky Brown or Driver, the show brought together all generations of rap in a show with a very positive atmosphere, it was a pleasure to see.
The casting
FRESH
BEN PLG
HOUSSBAD
BB JACQUES
KT GORIQUE
WHITE N
And much more ...
We already know that given the success of this first edition, Netflix has decided to renew the experience for a second season. With "New School" the platform could well have a program that would become as important as "The Voice", but for French rap. A great achievement, we hope that this season 2 will start soon! By the way, if you're tempted, know that castings are already open.