Now that rap has become the dominant music in France, we see talented artists emerging at increasingly younger ages. And among them, RK has clearly stolen the show. 21 years old, 5 albums under his belt, gold and platinum records pouring in, and a solid technical background that allows him to make a difference. In freestyle, on the radio, or during a photoshoot for Project X Paris, the rapper sets the bar very high!
RK, from child prodigy to accomplished artist
If we had to list the favorite passions of urban youth in France, football and rap would surely be among the top positions. We've lost count of the references rappers make to footballers in their tracks. We also notice that more and more footballers are trying to get closer to the rap world, appearing in music videos, at showcases, or concerts. The main reason for this convergence is simple: football and rap have flooded the suburbs, which are the main providers of talent both in music and in sports. For suburban youth often victim to prejudices, rap and football represented two obvious ways out to rise socially and be recognized. RK, a worthy son of the city of Meaux in the 77, practiced both intensively in his early years. To the point of having considered becoming a pro, before being caught up by injuries and street life. Eventually, he turned to rap, but always keeping an eye on the world of football. And we can say he made the right choice: his first track, released in 2017, is called "1ère mi-temps #RiyadMahrez", named after the dazzling Algerian winger who plays for Manchester City. A real hit for the young rapper, who had been practicing rap since he was very young to be like the older guys in his neighborhood.
A hit that caught the attention of Sofiane, a sort of Arsène Wenger of 2000s rap who has brought many talents to light. It must be said that RK and Fianso had everything to get along, starting with a genuine love for very fast, very aggressive kickage, not hesitating to shout sometimes, like in the era of good trap bangers. After that, everything happened very quickly: a series of freestyles named after the buildings in his neighborhood in Meaux, a great rap land since the 90s. Then a first project, "Insolent", which became platinum in a few months. Very quickly, we noticed that RK had begun to change his music, putting more melodies with his voice, more musicality in the instrumentals, even if the kickage remains present on many tracks. A winning recipe with which he regularly reaches 20 million views on his clips. At this point, it's 2018, the rapper is only 16 years old and his success is already monstrous. One might have thought that success had gone to his head, and that he would have rested on his laurels, but nothing of the sort: the second project arrives a few months later, in April 2019, and it's called "Rêve de Gosse" (Kid's Dream). With big titles like "Rédemption" or "C'est mon sang" featuring Fianso, the prodigy will strike hard again and score big. Then comes the time for the third project, "Neverland", which is released in the summer of 2020.
Once again, RK takes a step forward, particularly in terms of communication. More present, he is more comfortable explaining his artistic choices, his thought processes, and his approach seems increasingly clear and thoughtful. You can feel that the young prodigy has quickly gained experience, and he has even worked much more on his aesthetics. While his clips were quite close to those of PNL in their early days, he has moved away from that, even if he has kept a taste for somewhat "floating" shots, and for metaphorically depicting the grind. A flawless project artistically, quickly followed (perhaps too quickly) by "100 Rancunes" in 2021. A good project, which unfortunately didn't have the expected success, but the rapper is not one to give up. He's been in it since he was little and he has bet everything on rap, so he questioned himself, perfected his mindset to offer us his brand new project, "Mentalité". Even more seasoned, more composed, he came back strong, notably thanks to the hit "Lola", a strong single from the album. Still with this alliance of melody and kickage, and effective themes revolving around the street, but also love, sometimes a complicated subject. But where he impressed us the most was in the clip for the acoustic version of "Lola", with a sober, but incredibly effective outfit.
RK & PXP, the sportiest collab
Light gray Stone Island sweater, light-colored pants, and a small pair of slightly tinted glasses, flawless. So, it made us want to study the RK phenomenon more closely, particularly looking at what we could offer him that would be both in line with this idea of stylish sobriety, while staying true to the spirit of sports, to keep his footballer and competitor side. Starting of course with the classic, the Signature capsule. A sober and classy ensemble, with a white unisex Signature hoodie, and white signature joggers. All worn with a pair of PXP sneakers, as it particularly suited this classic and effective streetwear outfit. In the background, you'll notice the "cardboard workshop" atmosphere with "PXP / RK" graffiti everywhere. In the same setting, we had him wear a Tech ensemble that fits very well with his love for football, with rather fitted joggers, and the hooded zip-up jacket, all in two shades of light gray. We can see some stylized logos on the chest as well as on the hood, which can refer to technical clothing or afootball club outfit.
New atmosphere next: you know us, at Project X Paris we like to change everything, to avoid staying in a comfort zone. This time, we move to a "crime scene" type decor with tarpaulins and some mirrors for stylish optical effects. For the outfit, we stick to something sober, with a small mood that's stylish, soft, and comfortable with the brand new Wavy Wear capsule. A two-tone wave style joggers in blue, and a two-tone wave style hoodie in the same color, and that's it. All worn over a slightly oversized white t-shirt, for a double "style / relaxation" effect that we appreciate in rappers. Here again, we stay with the sobriety of design and colors, a niche that still suits RK very well. Our stylists were right on point!
Finally, we move on to the last outfit, the one that perhaps represents the most "street" trend at the moment: the outfit from the Urban Explorer capsule. A capsule with quite technical pieces, to combine comfort, cold resistance, and style for roaming the streets of your cities. Or even basements with red brick walls, as is the case for RK during the photoshoot. Here again, he plays along, posing like a pro. For the outfit, a gray quilted jacket, and gray quilted joggers. All with a small pair of white sneakers, and we get yet another example of a sober, stylish, and very trendy outfit right now, with the omnipresence of techwear. As you've understood, the photoshoot was placed under the sign of sobriety and efficiency, not necessarily what we're known for at Project X Paris. But the challenge was brilliantly met, thanks to an RK who was hot as ever and even kicked a few lines for teasers on social media. We thank him for all this, hoping to do it again soon!