Zed and Genezio Bring the Summer Vibes With “Baby”

Following his first gold-certified album, Malcom (his real first name), Zed unveiled the first instalment of his new album Nephilim, featuring 1PLIKÉ140, iDS & L2B, RK and Leto. In an interview with Rapunchline, Zed explained the idea behind the title Nephilim, which he associates with the idea of a “fallen angel”. The project is meant to have two sides: one dark, the other somewhat brighter. This first instalment explores the darker side. For Zed, the name Nephilim perfectly reflects both his persona and the concept behind the project.

Zed, OldPee and Stavo all pursued solo careers following the release of BLO I and BLO II, with varying degrees of commercial success but always carrying the spirit of 13 Block with them. The Sevran collective was among the French rap groups that genuinely helped bring drill and trap to a wider audience in France. Without ever turning their backs on their street roots, OldPee, Zefor, Stavo and Zed consistently displayed an extraordinary level of creativity. Behind the street codes embedded in their trap music was a group constantly looking for new ways to push its sound forward.

More recently, Zed reunited with OldPee on A1 A3, whose original version was one of the tracks that helped define the group’s early days. Like several of their recent releases, the track shows that despite the success and gold records, 13 Block — and Zed and OldPee in particular — have never forgotten their drill and trap DNA.

This time, Zed teams up with Genezio for a collaboration made for the summer. On Instagram, he describes it as “your summer anthem”. Genezio and “his bounce” — a style partly inspired by Young Thug and the Atlanta scene — rely heavily on catchy gimmicks, infectious flows and energetic rhythms. The formula has translated into some serious streaming numbers: OG has been certified platinum, while Genezio has climbed beyond 4.6 million monthly listeners.

Zed and Genezio bring the summer vibes with “Baby”!

According to the credits on Spotify, the instrumental was produced by Diaxal and No Caap. The two producers had previously joined forces on La Mano 1.9’s Sexy Woman, a track on which the rapper moved away from his usual style towards a more open and melodic sound.

Both beatmakers were also credited on Bara’s Sans concession, meaning this is far from their first collaboration. Baby remains rooted in an urban sound while incorporating a sample with strong Latin influences. As is often the case with their productions, the result feels distinctive, even genuinely unique. Between the catchy gimmicks and the track’s summery atmosphere, Zed and Genezio still find room for a few memorable punchlines:

“Handbag, she told me she wanted this one. Business Class, she told me she wanted this life.”

The track is deliberately built as a concentrated dose of catchy gimmicks and infectious rhythms.

The music video was directed by “Ensemble”. Particularly striking visually, it places the two rappers in what feels like an improvised rave, surrounded by an impressive sound system. The cinematography is one of the video’s strongest features, while the entire visual was shot in a distinctive 1:1 aspect ratio.

Very little information is currently available about “Ensemble”. However, the crew includes Jules Dormoy, who has worked as an assistant director alongside Arthur Keasy and also contributed to Aya Nakamura and Triangle des Bermudes’ Namek, where he was credited under the handle “Serge Scarface”.

The crew also features cinematographer Valentin Guyard, whose experience includes working alongside Romain Gavras, as well as Faustin Charneau, who has contributed to major productions including Tiakola’s R.I.Peace.