For almost 30 years, Rim'K has been showcasing his Air Max in French Rap, building a track record that all rappers envy. He has also participated in the greatest adventures of the French game, he has managed to reinvent himself to stay relevant, and above all, he is respected everywhere, from the street to record labels. So, at Project X Paris, we decided to honor his OG side during our photo shoot.
RIM'K, THE UNCLE OF THE GAME
Music is constantly evolving, and it's easy to fall behind on new trends in flows or sound production and stick to the old recipes we already master. Very few artists have managed to stay relevant and innovative for over 20 years. But Rim'K is one of them! In France, only Booba and Rohff can boast of staying at the top for so long, but the Tonton (Uncle) is much less divisive than his two colleagues, and almost everyone likes him, across all generations. Why? Probably due to his friendliness and humility every time we see him in interviews. He has participated in some of the greatest moments in French Rap history, yet he continues to adopt the same energy as a rookie with each new release, and that's impressive. The story begins in the early 90s, in Camille Groult, when Rim'K decides with two childhood friends (AP and Mokobe) to create 113, which immediately places itself under the banner of the greatest collective in French rap history: Mafia K'1 Fry.
Together, they will inscribe the two digits of their department, 94, in the golden book of the rap game. 113 releases a first EP, "Ni barreaux, ni barrières, ni frontières" (No bars, no barriers, no borders), which opens the doors of the game for them and allows them to move directly to one of the greatest classics of French Rap: the album "Les Princes de la ville" (The Princes of the City), in 1999. Quickly, it's consecration, notably thanks to the great work of DJ Mehdi but also to the talent and complementarity of the 3 childhood friends. They display their pride in being from the suburbs, in managing to make it on their own, and send an incredible positive message to young people from the neighborhoods. Above all, they will win a Victoire de la Musique (French music award) the following year, which is very rare for a "hardcore" rap group. And it notably allowed them to offer an incredible moment that remained etched in everyone's memory: the on-stage performance with the famous Peugeot 504 station wagon, to further assert their identity. A multiple identity, with one foot in the neighborhood, another in France, and their head in the stars with the desire to achieve great things and break everything.
The joint albums with 113 (notably with "Dans l'urgence") and projects with Mafia K'1 Fry multiply, success amplifies, but Rim'K also has desires for a solo career. He will launch it in 2004, with his album "L'Enfant du Pays" (The Child of the Country). Dubbed with his nickname "Tonton" (Uncle) earned thanks to the track "Tonton du bled" (Uncle from the homeland), the rapper will take us back and forth between his neighborhood and his native Kabylia, with the highlight being the album "Maghreb United" which had wide airplay on Skyrock at the time of its release. But it's from 2016 that he will take on another dimension, while the 113 and Mafia K'1 Fry adventures seem to be musically at a standstill, and Rim'K will decide to switch to Trap with his "Monster Tape" in 2016. A project with very current sounds, which will launch him into a new phase of his career. The one where he is a Boss, respected by the whole new generation who doesn't hesitate to collaborate with him, in "Fantôme", then "Mutant", then "Midnight" and finally "ADN", 5 projects in 5 years. With, along the way, huge hits like "Air Max" with Ninho, the most telling example of Rim'K's adaptation to the rap of the new generation. At ease, on theme, never outdated and always committed: that's why people love Rim'K.
RIM'K x PXP: 100% OG
The idea crossed our minds to have the rapper test the most extravagant outfits from our catalog. But our stylists opted for the second solution, which was to search for the classiest PXP clothes to honor the OG that Rim'K is (original gangster, the nickname given to rap pioneers). We start with the first outfit, in a setting reminiscent of a somewhat underground locale, which can be found in many neighborhoods, but in a luxurious version, with beautiful carpets on the floor, an imposing leather sofa, some TVs, and speakers. The Tonton sits in the middle of it all, dressed in his black and white outfit. A black multi-pocket workwear jacket for the top, worn open over a plain white t-shirt. And black workwear cargo pants for the bottom, with a pair of white Nike Air Force 1s, and the look is complete. An outfit that's both understated and very stylish, to which we added a black Project X Paris Monogram shoulder bag, for that 'street explorer' touch.
Finally, to close the shoot and the collaboration beautifully, we offered Rim'K a little treat for the third outfit. The atmosphere is still very underground, very 'warehouse', except this time, we brought... a Rolls Royce, the ultimate OG car in US rap. The Tonton poses with disconcerting ease, next to and then inside the car, dressed in a simple outfit that strongly resembles the first one from the shoot. We find the multi-pocket workwear jacket for the top, but in beige this time, worn over a white t-shirt with the Project X Paris logo written in black. For the bottom, we also find the multi-pocket workwear pants, also in beige for a very successful ensemble effect. We thank Rim'K for his patience and professionalism, we can sense a real mastery in front of the camera and genuine involvement. We wish him great numbers with his 'Hors-Série' released in June, a project in which he gathered all his freestyles, and also for what's to come!
