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If Sevran has become one of the capitals of French rap in just under 5 years, rapper DA Uzi has a lot to do with it. With his heartfelt lyrics, his "écorché vif" style and the emotion and intensity he brings to his songs, he has touched the hearts of authentic rap fans. The man who has already lived 1,000 lives at just 30 years of age continues his success story, and has even collaborated with Project X Paris!
DA Uzi, the real thing
Ten years ago, the few times we heard about Sevran in the media, it was for news stories, to support the anxiety-inducing discourse about "the suburbs". But then Kaaris came along and exploded onto the national scene, bringing in his wake a whole host of talented, ambitious Sevran rappers who wanted to show the world that Sevran raps, and raps hard! From Maes and 13 Block to Kalash Criminel and DA Uzi, the city of 93 is home to a host of game stars. All special artists, with strong personalities and charisma. But DA Uzi has something extra: this hyper sincere side, very authentic to the point of sometimes making the listener uncomfortable with his frankness, with a raw energy that shines through in almost every track. It's the rapper's trademark. Although he's been in the game for a long time, it took him a long time to get serious about rap, given his rather chaotic youth. Gifted for the round ball, but also for coal, it was in 2017 that the rapper began to make a name for himself, through a series of freestyles published on Youtube, "La D en Personne".
A series of freestyles whose clips are mostly shot at the bottom of buildings in Sevran, where DA Uzi has worn out his soles on asphalt. He talks to us about his daily life, about trouble, jealousy, getting by, aggressive police officers, with a sincerity, realism and a "raw" side that are really very effective. The rapper doesn't hesitate to rap while shouting, with a voice that carries well from the start, which gives him a very raw side, but also a little "crazy", a little "possessed" on the mic. This cocktail makes him stand out from the crowd, unlike any other artist, and therefore makes a lasting impression. Yet he had a hard time getting fully into music, because, as he rapped in "Rentre dans le Cercle", "in the old days I was ashamed to be a rapper, tomorrow I'm proud if it pays my mother's rent". 5 years on, we can imagine that he's proud: clips with millions of views, hundreds of thousands of followers on the networks, a real status in the game - it's quite a success story for the man who joined a pre-training center to become a pro footballer, before being ejected for being too much of a dribbler for his coach's taste.
DA Uzi may not have lifted the Ballon d'Or, but he has several gold and even platinum discs to his credit. Since 2017, he's been hard at work: 5 albums, including "Mexico", which did very well, but also "Vrai 2 Vrai" in 2021, and this year he unveiled his latest project, "Le Chemin des braves", in April. The album features some big-name featurings (Naps, Lacrim, Gazo, Ninho, OldPee), but he's pushed his musical work even further. While we still get the "DA Uzi special" tracks, we also get some much more melodious ones, both in the instrus and in the vocals. For the rapper, who now seems to be a little more at peace and confident in his role as an artist, has evolved his image. Smiling, approachable, with plenty to say in interviews, including his love of solo travel, he's truly taking on a new stature. And at Project X Paris, that's something we're obviously very interested in!
The DA Uzi & PXP collab
While he still retains his 100% street label, the rapper doesn't hesitate to put himself on stage a little more, to give a little more of himself. When the opportunity arose for us to work with him, we immediately jumped at the chance to have him wear our most ambitious, streetwear outfits. We can already say that this is one of our best shoots of 2022, because DA Uzi has that energy that comes straight from the street, so he's uniquely 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 hoodie + jacket combo. jogging bottoms the most streetwise and effective. Worn with a shiny but discreet watch and a pair of classic white sneakers, it's a no-brainer. The German car's trunk was filled with Project X Paris flip-flops, a trendy item for some seasons now.
While we were on the subject of graffiti, we took the opportunity to let him try out the "Underground" capsule, which has the particularity of featuring street-art style prints on clothing. Once again, DA Uzi pulled out all the stops, and once again, it kills! The outfit is crazy, with the oversize hoodie And the street art print jogging bottoms, in black to keep things a little street and dark, were a real success. And since we're on the dark side, we're also obliged to tell you about the "Waffle" outfit, also very effective on the rapper. An all-waffle velvet ensemble, hence the capsule's name. The PXP logos dotting the fabric give the impression of having been printed with a hot iron, or via a waffle machine, with a fabric that gives a slightly "shiny" look to this very black ensemble. With his hoodie and men's sweatpants, while keeping his watch and sneakers white, it makes for a very streetwise and successful outfit.
But DA Uzi also wears brighter outfits and more cheerful shades very well. In fact, this was perhaps the most successful part of the shoot, and we have to thank the graphic designers and photographers who worked on the "locker + BMX khaki" ambience. In a room that's been converted into a locker room + garage (with car wheels), we find the rapper in an incredible green Signature outfit that suits him perfectly. It's not necessarily the most popular or protested color, but it's at once very simple, very uncluttered and very streetwise. The set signature hoodie + bas de jogging is one of our greatest hits, and we're delighted to see it so well worn by the rapper from Sevran. We wish him all the best for the rest of his career, and there's no doubt about it: given DA Uzi's energy when he raps, in interviews or when he takes a break in front of the camera, you'll be hearing about him for a long time to come!
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