The stars of Quebec rap will appear on stage at the legendary Olympia in Paris for the first time on February 8, and according to Loud, the headliner of this historic show, this is just the beginning.
• Also read: First Quebec rapper at the Paris Olympics: “If there's anyone who can do it, it's Loud”
“It's huge, but the intention is that it leads us to more,” says the Montreal MC with his usual calm in an interview with Le Journal.
With a capacity that can reach up to 2,800 seats depending on the configuration, the Olympia de Paris has hosted legends such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
“Of course it’s not easy to do,” Loud admits modestly. “But if we look at the rap market [en France]We tell ourselves there are no limits to the size of events we can participate in.”
A growing curiosity
With several dozen performances across the French-speaking world of Europe in recent years, including almost ten in Paris, Loud finds that the lingo typical of Quebec rappers is very well received on the Old Continent.
“In markets as big as theirs, there can sometimes be saturation, so.” [les Français] are always looking for what can stand out,” he explains. “There is still a long way to go, but with our vocabulary, our accents, our codes, we feel that curiosity is quietly growing.”
“The French are very open to fools, to the extraordinary,” adds Maskoutain rapper Rymz, who will be responsible for the first part of Loud together with Souldia. “They also really like what’s being done in the United States, and we’re right next door, so you can hear it in the way we communicate and rap.”
Maskoutain rapper Rymz has accompanied Loud on his European tours since 2018. Photo provided by Le Gars des Archives
It's clear that this interest is very real, as around 90% of tickets have already been sold ahead of the show at the Olympia in Paris on February 8th.
“We are confident that we will sell out,” says Loud manager and founder of the Joy Ride Records label Carlos Munoz.
From Gullywood at the Olympics
Among the artists who will perform alongside Loud we find in particular the rapper Lary Kidd and the producer Ajust, with whom he made his first steps in the industry.
From Gullywood, Loud's first album as part of the trio Loud Lary Ajust (LLA), released in 2012, to his performance at the Olympia in Paris, almost 12 years later, the MC is still struggling to achieve the magnitude of the journey he has traveled .
“It’s so important that they [Lary Kidd et Ajust] Be with me in important moments,” says Loud. “It's rare that we take the time to put things into perspective, but when we play songs at big events that we've played in small venues with LLA, it becomes even more clear to us [ce qu’on a accompli].”
Seven Quebec rappers with Loud in Paris: “He cares about promoting culture”
The rappers, who will make history with Loud at the Olympia in Paris on February 8, know that the latter invited them out of love for hip-hop culture and not to sell tickets.
“Loud doesn’t need us to fill the Olympia,” says Rymz, who will open Loud at the Olympia in Paris and has accompanied him on his European tours since 2018.
“He's about taking Quebec to a different place and promoting the culture, it has nothing to do with business.”
Strength in numbers
According to rapper Imposs, who will also be part of the line-up in Paris on February 8th, Loud is hitting the nail on the head by inviting all these talented artists to the stage. The co-founder of the group Muzion, a trio of Quebec rap pioneers who had big moments in France in the early 2000s, judges that the group lacked the numerical strength to reach greater heights at the time.
Rap scene veteran Imposs welcomes Loud's initiative to include several Quebecers in his show at the Olympia in Paris. Photo provided by Le Gars des Archives
“The only problem we had [avec Muzion]it's because we weren't enough [de rappeurs québécois invités en France] to impose something,” argues Imposs. “It is impossible to export Quebec culture to France alone.”
“The fact that Loud decided to bring a cohort of local artists is huge and historic; That’s thanks to him,” the veteran adds enthusiastically.