Following his highly anticipated concert at the Accor Arena, La Fouine took everyone by surprise by unveiling a new album, État des lieux, featuring high-profile collaborations with Ninho, Genezio, KLN, Merveille, and Nessbeal. La Fouine, a cornerstone of French rap alongside Booba and Rohff, left a lasting mark on the 2000s and early 2010s with his influence and consistency. The media outlet Brut recently dedicated a personal feature to him titled A Day with La Fouine, where the artist reflects on two decades of his career: “A lot of struggle, a lot of perseverance, a lot of joy, love, sadness, and pain… It’s the story of a life.” A journey echoing the famous quote by Pagnol: “Such is the life of men.”
To make a strong statement with this surprise release, La Fouine teams up with Ninho—a fixture at the top of the charts since Destin—to deliver not just one, but two versions of État des lieux, offering two complementary takes on a track rich in narrative and emotion.
La Fouine and Ninho drop two powerful versions of “État des lieux”
The diptych format is gaining momentum in today’s rap scene. Dr. Dre experimented with it on his Compton album with Darkside / Gone, distancing himself from the long-anticipated Detox. In France, Sofiane followed suit with two visuals in Remontada alongside Azet, previewing a pan-European project that was ultimately shelved due to the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile, DA Uzi poignantly contrasted his dual life between Paris and Sevran in a cult-classic diptych for WeLaRue.
With État des lieux, La Fouine and Ninho embrace this artistic approach: a sunny, almost summery first half gives way to a socially conscious, black-and-white visual crafted by director Dima.
The first half of the track is produced by Triple’N’Beat and Nask. Triple’N’Beat previously worked with Ninho on Pourquoi and Vrai de Vrai, and with La Fouine on Chargé. Nask is behind Mac 11 by Ninho and Kendrick by La Fouine. Together, they deliver an infectious production perfect for late summer nights.
The second part dives into darker territory, with production by Norwegian beatmaker Fraxille—known for his work with Central Cee on Limitless—and Shayaa, a key contributor to Ninho’s latest solo project.
In the first part, Ninho shares a raw, introspective life lesson:
“I’m dodging left and right for the cash
Gotta get burned to know when it’s hot
Big thugs in the car, we were the ones getting it done
Red interior, riding in a white Ferrari
I was lost when I was young, but that’s how you sharpen your teeth”
The second part shifts into a more somber tone:
“When you’ve got money, sharks come with it
And this is all real talk, tracksuit riding with you
Negative energy can hit you fast
Holding orders, it circulates, need some affection”
La Fouine delivers his verse like a quiet storm—painful, poetic, and deeply personal:
“The day I saw your tears, I wanted to set the city on fire
We light them up laughing, I only ask forgiveness in prayer
Fifty clients circling the Paris ring road
In the moment, I threw VVS on the Cayenne”
The video, directed by Dima—who previously helmed the visuals for La Fouine and RK’s 300, La Fouine’s Outro, and the latest clip from Sylla Ahmed—perfectly captures this dynamic between light and darkness. Dima also appears in Brut’s 2023 documentary, highlighting his close ties to Laouni’s creative world.
