With Essonne History X, Ziak makes a bold statement. Hailing from the Essonne region, the masked rapper had already made a powerful entrance with his debut album “Akimbo”, which went gold despite featuring only one collaboration—with Maes.
True to his enigmatic persona, Ziak thrives in the shadows. His concealed identity, dark visuals, razor-sharp flow, and street-rooted lyrics all contribute to a coherent, gritty aesthetic. Since day one, his sonic universe has stood out thanks to a bold use of Arabic-inspired instrumentation, shaped alongside producer Focus Beatz.
Much like Kalash Criminel or Pare Baal, Ziak remains masked in the independent rap scene, fiercely guarding his anonymity. It wasn’t until the release of his third album, “Essonne History X”—the follow-up to “Chrome”—that he opened up slightly, granting rare interviews to Mehdi Maïzi on Le Code and Mouloud Achour on Clique.
In these conversations, he reflects on his choice to stay anonymous, stating: “I have a lot of respect for people who don’t wear a mask,” but firmly adds that he’ll never give up his hidden identity, which has become a way for him to live freely—even if it makes breaking into the industry more challenging.
With “Essonne History X”, Ziak takes a bold leap forward. While the sound is refreshingly modern, his influences are wide-ranging—blending American rap, old-school vibes, and global inspirations. Some fans were surprised by this creative detour, but the numbers speak for themselves: nearly 9,000 units sold in the first week. A daring move, far from the safe path of a simple “Akimbo 3.0”.
Keeping the momentum going, he also dropped “Manuel de Vengeance”, a sharp artistic response to 404Billy.
Ziak fires back at 404Billy with “Manuel de Vengeance”!
As usual, production is handled by Focus Beatz, Ziak’s trusted beatmaker since day one. He’s the mastermind behind standout tracks like “Akimbo”, “Ça suffit”, “Vrai / Faux”, “Gros Lot”, and “Shonen”, and has also worked with Dinos (“CTRL + V”) and Zed (“Sac à 3K”, “M3”).
The track stands out with its airy vocal sample and hard-hitting rhythm, all while preserving the dark, brooding atmosphere that defines Ziak’s world. The diss is direct and unapologetic:
“They say my name and almost get off on it, doing wild stuff with his tongue. You know damn well I outrap you, tempi in my 9-1, I already pissed on the 404, back in the day I used to ride the 404, and I’ll take it again whenever I want.”
These bars fire back at 404Billy, who had previously taken shots in his track “N.Léviathan” with the lines: “No dignity, they take it down the throat and up the ass, 404 is really me, not a character like Ziak.” (source: Génération FM).
The video, directed by Denys Bourbier—who also worked on “Story” and “Belle Madame”—adds to the eerie vibe. It features a man peering through blinds, as the camera slowly zooms out, building tension throughout. A minimalist yet powerful visual that perfectly matches the mood of the track.
