The rap world was plunged into mourning at the beginning of January with the passing of Calbo, the longtime partner of Lino within the group Ärsenik. A major loss for an entire generation. It is a restrained yet powerful tribute that his friend Pit Baccardi pays him, both at the opening and closing of the track Goat, which he performs alongside his brother Dosseh. Pit Baccardi and Calbo belonged to the same generation—the builders, the keepers of the flame—who shaped French rap and elevated it to a dominant musical genre, now omnipresent at the top of Spotify’s most-streamed artist charts.
Yes, rap has changed; it has become urban music. But born from a handful of passionate pioneers who kept it alive in a few cities across France, it has, since 2019, become the country’s most listened-to genre. Pit Baccardi spoke at length about this evolution in an interview with Urbantrackz, embodying a rare bridge between two generations.
Before the release of OG, the family bond between Dosseh and Pit Baccardi was no secret, yet it wasn’t necessarily obvious to the wider public. The two brothers delivered two standout collaborations on the project with Chiffres Romains, followed by GOAT. This second track stands out for its emotional weight: entirely centered on their brotherhood, it unfolds as an intimate, almost epistolary exchange, in the vein of Polaroïd Expérience. A song devoted to family—their family.
Pit Baccardi and Dosseh are GOATs!
The instrumental composition is crafted by Nectar.s. The producer had previously worked on RED BULL SPIRALE #01, a track bringing together Pit Baccardi, Dosseh and Lino. He has also collaborated with artists such as Dundy, Leust and Yerro. Drawing from the sonic palette of past generations, the production is driven by a looping piano sample and a deliberately slow rhythm, leaving ample space for lyricism. The two brothers, both sharp writers, let their words breathe while fully asserting their individual identities:
For Pit Baccardi:
“20–26, I come to crush them, to surround them,
I think there’s nothing worse than being a great rapper who never breaks through,
except perhaps being a man without dignity, without pride.”
Dosseh, ever as irreverent:
“Between good and evil there’s only one step, so I had to make a choice.
Yet I’d seen Scarface and Carlito’s Way,
damn, it’s crazy how time flies.
Back when we were smashing those dudes like Pete Sampras.”
The visual is directed by Tamara El Attar and Victor Grenu. Bringing the two brothers together on screen, it culminates in a powerful final tableau dedicated to their family. Tamara El Attar has also directed Seul by Pit Baccardi and Tant pis by Rim’K. Victor Grenu also contributed to the direction of Seul.
