Will LCK is a rapper from Lille, in northern France. For a long time, when looking at the rap game as a whole, the main centers of gravity in French rap were concentrated around Marseille, Paris and, to a lesser extent, Strasbourg, notably through groups like NAP and a handful of key figures. Today, rap has largely broken free from those historical boundaries, and northern France now stands out with its own flag-bearers, such as BEN plg and ZKR. A scene often marked by a stronger political and social awareness, shaped by the region’s sociology and militant history.
Will LCK first cut his teeth within the collective La Chronik before embarking on a solo journey. He works closely with beatmaker Mehsah, a true cornerstone of his sonic universe. His influences draw from the guardians of the 2000s rap era, such as Booba, Tandem and Sniper, while also extending to Distant Relatives by Nas and Damian Marley, a landmark project embodying the meeting point between rap and reggae.
In 2026, the Lille-based artist opens a new chapter with the upcoming release of an EP, from which he has already unveiled a first single, Tours bétonnées.
Will LCK is too old to be hanging out at the bottom of the “concrete towers”!
As with the rest of the project, the instrumental production is handled by Mehsah. The beatmaker is clearly no newcomer. A respected figure in French rap, he has notably collaborated with ZKR on Freestyle 5 minutes 12, produced several tracks for PLK, including À la base and 3 en 1, and contributed to 13 Organisé, the collective project led by Jul, with tracks such as Loi de la calle and Légendaire.
The track breathes the spirit of early-2000s rap: dense, thoughtful writing carried by a sharp and resolutely punchy production. The EP, however, will not be strictly rap-focused; according to the artist, it will also feature more ragga-influenced and energetic tracks. In this lane, lyricist Will LCK is clearly operating in his comfort zone:
“I didn’t want to give them my time for a 1,600-euro job”
“We’ll take the back roads, not the highway”
“We’ll give in if we stay where the rats stagnate”
“On the road I made a thousand mistakes, on graves we laid roses”
The rapper’s energy comes through powerfully in this first single, which serves as an introduction to his upcoming EP. At a time when the rap industry is growing ever more powerful and art can sometimes be diluted by the marketing demands of so-called “urban music”, some artists continue to make an engaged form of rap resonate—true to the spirit of its origins.
