Moubarak began his musical journey by signing with Jul‘s prestigious label, D’or et de Platine. Early in his career, the young rapper from Marseille embraced the style of his mentor, delivering festive tracks that embodied the very essence of Jul‘s success. In an interview with Mouloud Achour, Jul even revealed that this musical style, characterized by “Jul’s signature sound”, has spread far beyond France, reaching countries like Sweden.
However, in recent years, and especially since the release of his EP Épreuve, Moubarak has taken a major artistic turn. He now asserts a unique and singular identity. The rapper recently released his track J’ai mes raisons, a prelude to his upcoming EP Solide, set to be released on January 31. Staying true to his love for innovative visual concepts, Moubarak accompanied the song with a fully first-person perspective music video, offering a total immersion experience.
Moubarak Has His Reasons!
“Love has its reasons that reason itself ignores.” The production of J’ai mes raisons was crafted by a talented trio of beatmakers: WolfWhiteProd19, French Boom, and NickWillBeats. Among them, WolfWhiteProd19 had already worked with Moubarak on tracks such as La vie du terrain and Que du réel. Meanwhile, French Boom collaborated with TK on the track Sur mon canapé. Here, the melancholic production is built on a slow, poignant piano sample, highlighting an introspective text where Moubarak delves into his journey as an artist and his experiences on the streets.
“We have dreams / on two wheels / I look ahead / I act like nothing’s wrong / I shape the world.”
One of the highlights of the track lies in the inclusion of the iconic voice of Bruno Coulais, renowned for introducing the legendary track by IAM, L’empire du côté obscur. Bruno Coulais also collaborated with DJ Kheops on his iconic album Sad Hill, further enhancing the emotional depth of the production.
On the visual side, the clip was directed by DRB, who presents an original and immersive staging. In the storyline, Moubarak is seen pasting a poster on a building in Marseille to announce his project—an idea that reflects his knack for meticulous visual storytelling. Notably, DRB had previously worked on the visuals for Moubarak’s conceptual album Épreuves, where the rapper portrayed a fictional character. With Solide, this time, he opens up by telling his own story.
