In the French rap, it is quite common to see artists (not the least) refer to the universe of anime. In their wake, whatever style he practices, they allude to manga works in their music videos, songs or even their nicknames. This is particularly due to the influence of Japanese popular culture on France in the 1980s. These include the broadcasting of manga on French television channels. This culture has such an impact on the childhood of some rappers that they refer to it in their various music projects. There are some who do not hesitate to make linguistic interference by integrating lyrics in Japanese and others are inspired by the landscapes of the visuals for the design of their album cover. Among these rappers, our mag is interested in 3 different examples that you should know.
1. Nekfeu
Nekfeu is a rapper from the Maritime Alps and a member of many rap collectives. Apart from his ability to chain freestyles, fans also recognize him as a real passion for Japan, in this case for manga. Indeed, he generally refers to animes in his songs. This is particularly the case of these pieces Nekketsu and Ken hanneki. For information, the first alludes to Shonen and the second is a title created in reference to the hero, even anti-hero of the famous manga Shônen “Tokyo Goul ».
Also, en 2016, in the music video False note, a song by his group S-Crew, the rapper from the Maritime Alps wears the mask of Ken Kaneki, the hero of Tokyo Goul. In short, Nekfeu is a rapper who does not hesitate to multiply the references of manga in his creations. Maybe he hasn’t watched yet Demon Slayer to offer his fans a clip in the image of his different visuals. As a reminder, this is one of the most popular anime of the moment, season 2 of which will be available soon on Netflix. You can, after Serieophile, Season 2 will be available on Netflix in a few weeks.
2. Youv Dee
Originally from Oise, Youv Dee is an unconditional fan of the manga rapper “One Piece“. For the story, he even owes his stage name to the protagonist (Monkey D. Luffy) of the story described in this manga. For this artist, manga and rap have a good bond. The point is, most of his tracks have at least one specific manga reference. Today, Youv Dee is on the rise with this style. Always be on the lookout, because it can surprise you at any time with title in reference to the Demon Slayer series.
3. Kekra
Kekra is a masked rapper composer who has the distinction of being a mysterious artist while preserving his anonymity. The least that can be said of him is that he loves to travel. He makes Japan his favorite space and makes reference to it in his various clips. For example, in her music video 9 mi, the rapper takes fans to immerse themselves in Tokyo’s darkest and most mysterious alleys. Also, it should be noted that the different graphic visual effects refer to manga that you have certainly followed.
Finally, it is important to remember that apart from the aforementioned rappers, there are others in the world of French hip-hop who refer to manga. We can cite for example PNL, Orelsan or IAM.