Benjamin Epps unveils a new track from his project L’Enfant sacré de Bellevue, featuring collaborations with Abd Al Malik and Conway the Machine.His latest track, Le Message, seems to echo The Message by Nas, the sacred child of Queensbridge, from the album It Was Written.However, the production is built around a sample from That’s My People by Kool Shen, paying homage to the golden age of French rap.
As always, Benjamin Epps delivers razor-sharp punchlines and sharp references. With a refined pen, he revives a nearly forgotten art from the ’90s, an era when French rap thrived on strong lyrics and deep engagement.While trap and drill, influenced by major American movements, have reshaped today’s rap landscape, artists like Benjamin Epps or Demi Portion continue the tradition of lyrical commitment.
Rap wasn’t necessarily “better before”, but as Kery James, who has lived through these eras, once said: “it has changed a lot!”
An evolution that Tiers Monde summed up well in an interview with underground media Cosmic Hip Hop: “Every rap has its audience.”
Benjamin Epps delivers his own message!
The instrumental for the track, sampled from That’s My People, is produced by beatmaker Mozarf. This isn’t his first success with Benjamin Epps,having already produced Reste dans ta merde and 375, a powerful track shot in Africa.
Like That’s My People, the composition is built around two recurring piano notes, evoking both a deep-rooted nostalgia in the track and an underlying melancholy.Yet, the tone is raw, and the punchlines hit hard:
“When you win, they admire you, but when you win too much, they end up hating you (*tchip*).”
“I’m projected with an esteem that isn’t there, carrying the paradox of a mainstream rapper who isn’t one.”
The rapper also references the closing of L’École du micro d’argent, the iconic album by IAM,considered one of the first long-form tracks in French rap history:
“There’s nothing to celebrate, you don’t dance anymore, IAM said tomorrow is far, but I can assure you today is no longer.”
A striking music video by The New Vision
The video kicks off with a shocking scene, immediately grabbing attention.The visual world is immersive, following Benjamin Epps through a day shaped by his thoughts and daily life. Behind the camera is The New Vision, a director who has worked with Benjamin Epps since the beginning.He is also responsible for the videos of Vous n’êtes pas contents ? C’est pareil and Dans le Way.
Watch the official video below:
