Did the Sugarhill Gang know that by playing with words using onomatopoeia, they would become the forerunners of a new musical genre, rap? No sooner had their flagship track been produced and released than it entered the top 10 of the French record charts, and many people have embraced this new form of expression, imported from the United States and at the crossroads of music and literature. With it, a culture born in the city was imported, transposed and adapted. Forty years on, far from any idea of cultural appropriation, the Châtelet is paying tribute to the French hip-hop scene by opening its doors wide.
For the first edition of this festival, women are in the spotlight. First up, with the group ExpéKa, featuring Casey, one of the pioneers of French-language rap, for an evening of concerts combining jazz, gwoka and hip-hop. Then Vicky R and Le Juiice, two artists invited by Issam Krimi on the heels of a residency at the Cité internationale de la langue française, are experimenting with chamber rap with piano and string quartet. And because hip-hop culture also includes DJing, beatboxing, breakdancing and graffiti, all the disciplines will be represented, with a pro battle open to all, graphic design workshops, round tables, the Urban Film Festival closing ceremony and plenty of surprises!
