Naps joins Le Cercle PXP
Naps, a Marseille emblem
Marseille has become again in a few years a capital city in French rap. After IAM, the Fonky Family, and the Psy4 de la Rime, the new generation was a bit awaited, but now it is here, well established. This new generation is mainly led by Jul, of course, and Naps, as well as Soso Maness. In the rightful lineage of Kalif Hardcore's music, Jul and Naps have dived in to give their rap that special, sunny sound, mixing very raw lyrics with autotune. All sprinkled with authentic Marseille slang, with a good dose of confidence and sometimes class. Versatile, he uses many well-known beatmakers in the scene to energize his albums: CDR, Zeg P, Napalm Beats, and he has already collaborated with all the biggest rap artists of his generation. Notably, in no particular order, Ninho (with whom he shares the same affection for the brand Project X Paris), SCH, Vald, Soolking, Maes, Heuss l'Enfoiré and many others.
Approved by his peers, by the street, and also supported by his entire city, Naps has rained certifications with his albums released since 2015. If today everyone knows what we mean when we say "Marseille rap" or "southern rap," it's thanks to the music but also the attitude. Thanks to Naps in particular, Marseille has become the place for all clothing experiments over the last 5-6 years. With rather daring outfits: we notably remember the epidemic of football t-shirts from Thailand, with fluorescent colors, and also tracksuit sets featuring major football clubs. Marseille has been a true inspiration for today's streetwear, and Naps is one of its craftsmen. Project X Paris logically approached the one who has become one of the fashion icons of today's urban culture.
But Naps is not just streetwear. His aesthetic is also inspired by the Miami vibe, with quite bling-bling shirts, open, and a small chain on the chest like Tony. Overall, you can feel he was heavily inspired by gangster movies from the 80s and 90s, where everyone had an incredible look, either hyper-exuberant or very classy and sober with Italian suits. Since the era of "Pochon Bleu," a real commercial hit and summer 2017 anthem, to his participation in "13'Organisé" or his new album "Les Mains faites pour l'Or," the Marseille rapper has imposed his musical and graphic signature for the delight of his many fans. A sunny, joyful, catchy touch with lots of good vibes, just like the city of Marseille, an important crossroads of current urban culture. So important that Project X Paris is available in several stores around the Phocaean city, notably on the very famous Avenue Saint-Antoine, or right in the city center, Rue Saint-Ferréol.
Naps & PXP, a natural collaboration
Naps is therefore comfortable with all styles, whether it's pairing tracksuit bottoms with a sweatshirt or hoodie, or much more classic and sober pieces. With a strong penchant for very bold clothing, it was only natural that he teamed up with Project X Paris for the new 2021 collections. He tried several styles, so we noticed this little chameleon side, comfortable in all the artist's atmospheres.
He obviously loved the pastel set with jogging bottoms and the zipless hoodie, but he equally enjoyed the white set, with a simple sweatshirt and a huge butterfly motif, on both the top and the tracksuit bottoms. Pieces that are very sober, contrasting a bit with the usual Marseille outfit, but that suit him perfectly. Not the last to pose, he willingly took part in the photoshoot, striking poses in sometimes quite funny situations: lying down surrounded by green and purple bills, or sitting on his bike, always in good spirits. All this took place in a beautiful house not far from the Louvre, a perfect place to create a contrast between luxury and the very extravagant side of streetwear (as well as that of the artist).
But where it fits best is when Project X Paris has him wear the most extravagant clothes. Naps is someone quite lively, with a lot of humor and who quickly stands out, whether in life or in a featuring track. When he put on the blue or green tie and dye sets, bingo, it matched perfectly. Not everyone is necessarily ready to own such pieces, but he wears them without flinching, very comfortably, same for the unisex set with the numerous PXP logos, which is not the most classic clothing we offer. The rapper is fearless and owns everything, just like with music. He is not afraid to try, to dare, and it very often succeeds, which is why he represents very well the bold and innovative side of the Project X Paris brand.