Gambino la MG joins Le Cercle PXP
Les Ulis, a great reservoir of rappers
If we had to list the places that have strongly marked and influenced French rap, the 91 is in a good position. But even within the 91, there are schools, influences, and affiliations among rappers from the 90s to today. The schools of Evry, Grigny, Corbeil, but also that of Les Ulis, which gained major spotlight in the 2000s thanks to Sinik and his huge national success. But "Niksi," as he is called today, was only the tip of the iceberg, and the pool of very good rappers from Les Ulis, although less known, is huge: Grödash, and many others, almost all with real mastery of kicking, as well as clashes and battles. They are the fighters of the rap game, with punchy styles, quite angry and very street. These aspects are found, 20 years later, in Gambino La MG, a young rapper from the same neighborhood. It’s no coincidence, as he regularly cites the glorious elders of his street as influences, people who inspired him to rap.
With his friends from Les Ulis, they created a large Facebook group for all the young people in their city who wanted to rap. The group was called "La MG," for Mauvaise Graine, two letters that have never left Gambino’s nickname since. When they wanted to release a real track for the first time, the 7 most serious gathered, and that’s how the La MG collective gradually came to be as we know it today. But as time goes on, the young rapper also wants to try a solo career, especially after a tough lockdown in 2020. He then started a series of numbered freestyles on Instagram, quite short, to become as viral as possible, and it worked: some now have several million views, even after being reposted on YouTube. It can’t be repeated enough, but mastering social media is now essential for rappers, and Gambino La MG is doing very well. So well that he ended up getting noticed by Sony, who signed the young rapper through their Hall Access label.
Following the lightning success of his Insta freestyle series, he decided to capitalize by multiplying features to generate streams, thus visibility and also money. A smart move that led him to participate in "Rentre Dans le Cercle," the show hosted by Fianso, as well as the "Classico Organisé," a project with multiple awards. At the same time, he also unveiled a first solo project, "En attendant Gambinerie," a hidden reference to one of Sinik’s first solo projects, "En attendant l'album," released in 2004. For Gambino, it’s a big 21-track project to present himself to a wider audience, announcing an album, "Gambinerie," which he will release in 2022. A rapid succession expertly managed by the 91 rapper, who is now comfortably established in French rap, with music influenced both by drill and several African sounds, as he is of Congolese origin. With all these features and participations in various projects, the artist has shown that besides being a hard worker, he is versatile and comfortable in all vibes. And that’s something we really love at Project X Paris!
Gambino la MG & PXP, "gangsta" attitude
The advantage with these new generation rappers is that most of them know how to control their image, manage it, even play with it, not hesitating to stage themselves. A relaxation that’s nice to see compared to the sometimes strict/austere side of the old school. For Gambino, the image is easy: he became known through Instagram. So we were able to dress him in many outfits during the shoot, with the common thread being the desire to keep a "gangsta rapper" image/attitude imported from the USA. For the first outfit, it’s a quite iconic style, the varsity style, very present in the rap game. The "Varsity" capsule is very inspired by this kind of piece, and the rapper wears them perfectly in front of the all-white Lamborghini. A two-tone hoodie with logo, featuring the big "P" logo, whose typography recalls that of American college sports teams. And obviously the two-tone striped joggers for a successful overall effect. Add a small pair of white TN sneakers to complete the look, and you have a very effective outfit.
But the rapper isn’t done with the Lambo, and the second outfit is truly emblematic of the French street warrior. A nice white bucket hat on his head, and a set from the brand new High Fly capsule, one of our must-haves for fall 2022. Below, the loose jogging pants with dove patterns, in blue, paired with the white TN sneakers. Above, the loose sweatshirt with dove patterns, also in blue, for an effective overall look. Finally, the little touch that makes all the difference: the square shoulder bag with its wallet, all adorned with Project X Paris logos. A style truly emblematic of current French streetwear, very street, very functional, yet very chic and sharp. Then we left the Lambo for something more aggressive, a Yamaha snowmobile, and dressed Gambino la MG in an outfit very inspired by the gangsta codes of US rap. It’s the return of the Squad capsule, with new models for fall 2022. Striped baseball-style joggers below, a striped baseball-style hoodie with a big logo on the chest above, and a pair of black sneakers for a hyper street look. Especially if you add the ski mask, an item that has become iconic in current gangsta rap imagery.
Of course, it’s not over, we couldn’t leave Gambino without trying various pieces from the "Drill & Drip" capsule that will quickly become essential this winter. A capsule that highlights quilted parkas or padded jackets, which keep you warm in December but have also become essential items for drillers’ outfits. We could almost say this capsule was designed for Gambino, who has rapped a lot in this music style. Still with his ski mask, he put on a small sleeveless padded jacket over a white hoodie, paired with beige multi-pocket cargo pants below. A small pair of Nikes on top and you have a quite emblematic outfit for a driller. But it works even better with the big parka put on just after, an essential piece in current streetwear since the rise of UK drill. All this, still with the Yamaha snowmobile, a reminder of the icy atmosphere that can sometimes reign in the street. It was a pleasure to collaborate with Gambino la MG on this shoot that produced truly incredible photos. We send him all the strength possible for what’s next!