On December 6th, ISK dropped his highly anticipated project, “Hannibal Part. 2”, an album featuring some prestigious collaborations with artists like RK, Fresh La Douille, La Plaie, La Fouine, YL, Lesram, Kaaris, Mola, and KLM. Since making an impact with his powerful freestyles on “Vérités”, ISK has solidified his place as a major figure in the rap scene, known for his sharp flow and deep, thoughtful lyrics that recall the golden era of ’90s rap. However, those days when he was seen as a mere “rookie” are long gone. The artist who once shook things up with his freestyles like “Acharné” on Daymolition is no longer a newcomer. In fact, he speaks candidly about his position in an interview with Midi-Minuit, just before the release of his album “L’Art de la guerre”:
“No, honestly, I don’t consider myself a rookie. I’ve released a mixtape and three albums, which is already a lot. There are big names in rap who haven’t dropped as many projects, so I can’t consider myself a beginner.”
In this new album, after paying tribute to the essential work of Sun Tzu, ISK refers to the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal, who famously fought against the Roman Empire. The imagery of Babylon and the Roman Empire, synonymous with “power” and “empire”, resonates strongly in both rap and reggae. It’s also worth noting that ISK has just unveiled the visuals for his collaboration with the iconic La Fouine.
ISK and La Fouine play the game like Jules Koundé!
The production of this track is a major success, crafted by the talented Neits, Lesko, and 7ster. Neits has already made his mark on “Hannibal Part. 1 & 2”, notably with tracks like “À long terme” and “N’aie pas peur”. He’s also worked with Hornet La Frappe and L2B. As for 7ster, he was behind the production of “N’aie pas peur” for ISK. These two producers have created a custom soundscape that allows the rappers to shine and fully showcase their skills, an art they master perfectly.
The rapper from the 77 region keeps dropping punchlines that hit hard:
“The old-school one, you can go skiing, and not just in Chamonix.”,
or even:
“Lost between good and evil, so we do both.”
On his part, La Fouine, with 20 years of experience, responds with an timeless flow and sharp, cutting lyrics:
“The big guys warned me, but I never listened, I can drop 10 points and see your life cut short.”
The visual for this collaboration is as simple as it is effective, showcasing both rap teams in a striking atmosphere. Directed by Kabaw Visu, this visual follows in the footsteps of his previous work on “Brav-M” (featuring ISK, KLM, and Mola) as well as the freestyle “Vérité 7”.
