CLIP
Tency, “Boss Up” and the New Voices of West Indies Rap
From Les Abymes to the wider Caribbean music scene, Tency belongs to a generation of artists who have shaped their sound at…
Hellsinky author
ZEZ XXI — Mazdak Vafaei Shalmani
Mazdak Vafaei Shalmani, also known as ZEZ XXI, is a Franco-Iranian writer-director and journalist. Active in French-language rap media for more than fifteen years, he contributed to Rapunchline and later worked with Vice France and France Maghreb. He founded Hellsinky in 2018 and leads UrbanTrackz, developing stories across music, documentary cinema, urban culture and social memory.
Published work
StreetPress
France-Africa: Towards a New Generation of Partnerships
In a collective op-ed devoted to relations between France and African countries, twelve figures from diplomatic, political, civic and economic circles are…
NEWS RAP
Saifond Takes “Holo Horema” on an International Tour
Driven by the success of Holo Horema, Saifond is entering a new phase with an end-of-year tour spanning Africa and Europe. From…
MUSIC FOCUS
From Sexion d’Assaut to Kaaris: When Homophobia in French Rap Reaches the Courts
From the controversies surrounding Sexion d’Assaut to Kaaris’s upcoming trial, homophobia in French rap has gradually shifted from being primarily a cultural…
![[Interview]: Pascal Tessaud: Rap Videos as a School of Filmmaking](https://hellsinky.art/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/interview-pascal-tessaud-a-lecole-du-clip-video-768x432.jpg)
MUSIC FOCUS
[Interview]: Pascal Tessaud: Rap Videos as a School of Filmmaking
Pascal Tessaud, a filmmaker known for his hip-hop films Brooklyn and Beatbox, Boom Bap, has recently completed his second feature film, Dans…
CLIP
Thimoty Ndomatezo: “Ramène-moi”, Gospel and Spirituality
“Ramène-moi” is a single by Thimoty Ndomatezo, a singer-songwriter and performer born in Saint-Denis, France, in 1999, to a family originally from…
MUSIC FOCUS
Why Ben PLG Is Not the “Orelsan of Northern France”
There is something almost obvious about Ben PLG and Orelsan finally meeting on a track. When StreetPress dedicated a documentary to Ben…
CLIP
Ben PLG & Orelsan Address Mental Health on “Mentir au psy”
Paradoxically, Ben PLG hardly has the typical credentials of a hardcore rapper. Northern France, once largely absent from the country’s mainstream rap…
MUSIC FOCUS
Booba vs Sinik: “Carton Rouge” Revives a 20-Year Rap Beef
It took nearly twenty years for the infamous “Carton Rouge” to finally become a reality. Back in 2007, Booba and Sinik were…
CLIP
Ziak Reinvents French Drill With “Monsieur Loyal”
Ziak remains one of the most enigmatic figures in French rap. Emerging onto the French scene nearly five years ago, he seemingly…
CHRONIQUE
Thomas Perrier: From French Rap to “Temporalité”
From Ortom’s rap beginnings to piano-led songwriting, Thomas Perrier has built his career around one constant: writing. With Temporalité, his third album…
MUSIC FOCUS
Ziak Reinvents French Drill on “MONSIEUR LOYAL”
With MONSIEUR LOYAL, Ziak takes an obsession that has run through his entire discography one step further: keeping drill’s foundations intact while…