The Ultimes Marches de l’Empereur by Alkpote have become a true yearly ritual, almost like a sacred tradition worthy of the SACEM. True to his title as the Emperor, the rapper goes hunting for features at the very top of the charts. After collaborating with Gims and Quavo, Alkpote now steps into the ring with Gazo. The days when Gazo was moving from shelter to shelter are long gone; since the explosion of Drill FR, he’s been exploring new musical terrains — notably alongside Tiakola on their joint album, but also through his solo ventures. Still, he never forgets drill, the genre that revealed him and to which he owes everything. Since KMF, Gazo has become one of the most dominant artists on the Spotify charts.
Meanwhile, Alkpote continues to refine his subversive DNA: razor-sharp feature choices, acid-soaked punchlines, and unapologetic provocation.
After hosting a show dedicated to weed with high-profile guests, the Emperor is climbing yet another level alongside the heavy-hitters of streaming. The track Ping-Pong, like the rest of the project, perfectly reflects the unique space Alkpote occupies in the game.
Alkpote and Gazo deliver a lyrical ping-pong match!
The instrumental composition is signed by Madzim, a true OG of French rap — active back in the days of NTM and Busta Flex, and responsible for the iconic On est encore là by NTM. He also collaborated with Youssoupha and Disiz.
Anyone expecting a boom bap or old-school track will be surprised: this one is resolutely modern and hard-hitting, powered by a fierce lyrical exchange between Alkpote and Gazo at the peak of their craft, delivering raw, aggressive energy.
On the mix and master, we find FLEM, an emblematic beatmaker celebrated across the drill movement and widely regarded as one of its backbone figures.
The Emperor Alkpote hasn’t lost a shred of his sharp wit, as shown in his opening bars:
I arrive like Caesar in Rome or Bernard Arnault (ouh)
I don’t pay the tab, I don’t do favors (grr)
and later:
Pure coke in big chunks, paid in big bills (ah, brr)
Soon as I show up, these bitches end up in tears, I swear
In this game, I never give a stunt double a chance
The explosive visual, true to his usual style, is directed by Ruban Rouge Corp. We see Alkpote embodying an American cowboy preaching his “bad gospel” with oversized charisma.
The directors had already worked with him on his collaboration with Gims on Cypher, and also directed the clip Maison Blanche for Cheu-B.
