Hypnotic beats, foreign languages, flashy clothes. No, not Sean Paul– Purple City. And it’s hot.
Apparently there’s more to Paris than Hilton. So don’t sleep: French hip-hop is second only to American hip-hop in global popularity. With artists such as MC Solar, Les Nubians, Sian Supa Crew and more recently Booba already experiencing notable success in the U.S., it was only a matter of time before a truly collaborative album would emerge.
That album is here. Now I know what you’re thinking: France? Hip hop? Yep. Rap is all Around the World features Agallah “The Don Bishop” Un Kasa, Tibesse, and like 20 other French ambassadors. This song is one of those fast yet slow joints that makes you nod up, not down. It’s really an anthem-of-a-track which proclaims above all that the U.S. doesn’t own exclusive rights to rap anymore.
An truly international collaboration album, Paris to Purple City features Dipset-affiliated Purple City mainstays Shiest Bub “The Emperor,” Un Kasa and Agallah The Don Bishop paired with eight of the hottest up and coming MCs from France (a/k/a the Baryo Gang), and includes appearances from rising Dipset superstars Jim Jones and Hell Rell. In fact, word has it that those eight French MC’s spent weeks in the NYC to mix it up with the likes of Jimmy, Hell Rell and various other Diplomats for creative inspiration.
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Surprise, surprise, Jim Jones is all over the album, opening up The French Connection with Wee Wee nigga we speakin french… you heard me muthafucka?” That track is easily the best on the album, especially if you like rhymes about ice, glocks, cars (with steering wheels on the wrong side), and machine guns on top of the Eiffel Tower. Most of the album has a grimy, gutter, tone with most of the MC’s displaying raspy, almost angry vocals. The genius is in the production (Agallah The Don Bishop, does the honors) which makes those raspy vocals fit the beats nice-like, even though I couldn’t understand most of the lyrics.He also does a great job of alternating English and French verses, resulting in a stylistically fresh album that is actually way more French than American, although you’d almost never realize it.
And just when you think you’ve heard it all before, Purple City gets unapologetically political on No War featuring Hell Rell. I like it, given its underlying theme of humanity and struggle. Sure, it contrasts with Hip Hop’s message of popping shots and surviving, but then again hypocrisy is a time honored Dipset hallmark.
At the end of the day Paris to Purple City is yet another testament to the extensive and globally penetrating influence of hip-hop music and culture, sure to be appreciated by listeners around the world.
