Rap duo Vidji and Kéroué – AKA Fixpen Sill – have released their album FLAG, after two years of absence from the French music scene. From heavy, raw and banging beats to chilled, groovy and dreamy melodies, they’ve got it all covered.

 

Taking-off for greater dimensions and exploring a new side to French rap, Fixpen Sill have shared their introspection and reflection on their music. Featuring their hits ‘Le Piège’, ‘Drôles d’histoires’ and ‘Mes Clopes’, FLAG completes what they’d already started. With influences racing through American hip-hop to your typical French rap hit, everything comes together in this cleverly-woven masterpiece.

​

Their opening track ‘La Pilule’ sets the tone of their seventeen-track album with space-like melodies resembling some electronic banger. Add to that some pure rap vibes and you get this true tour de force. Clearly setting the bar high for what is to come, FLAG sums up just about everything that the duo have explored over the past years. 

​

Looking back at how they kickstarted their career, friends Vidji and Kéroué met in Brittany and started off trying out different projects since 2009. Among those projects was their collaboration with French rap sensations Nekfeu, Heskis and Hunam, forming a group called 5 Majeur. Following that came the mind-blowing association with Lomepal, currently one of the biggest names in the French music scene.

​

Speaking of which, ‘Bye Bye’ features Lomepal, delivering a hazy summer-hit-like tune, where all three artists take us to cloud nine. Another big name on this album is Nepal, who walks us through his desertic oriental-guitar-led experience with Fixpen Sill on the sixteenth track – ‘Touareg’. 

​

Comparing FLAG to their previous releases such as their EP A4637 and album Edelweiss, it is clear the duo have forged their own sound and are sharing their futuristic vision of what rap is all about. Indeed, while A4637 was full of angry, dynamic energy, FLAG appears to be a calmer and more defined side to Fixpen Sill but still keeping that idiosyncratic sound in the background. Having been entirely produced by Vidji himself, this album is the most personal work they have released to date. With ingenious lyrics and brilliant collaborations – what could possibly go wrong?

​

While we’re struggling to find any fault in this new release, we’re quite impressed at how well FLAG comes together. Even though ‘Vos Soirées’ explores a pop-side to the duo, we then directly take-off for a darker ‘Keskitéarrivé’ before landing on a Kéroué-led confession – ‘Rien d’plus’ – opening up about what they both really want from this journey.

​

‘Juice’ grooves its way into American-influenced hip-hop vibes and as if that wasn’t enough, the lads have also gifted us with a recollection of their previous works – ‘DSS FLAG’. This track closes the album with a bang, reminiscing about how they used to rap before, and how years later they haven’t changed one bit. 

​

Fixpen Sill have released a ground-breaking and innovative album which can only make us wonder where they’ll take us next, or rather, where they’ll take French rap to next? We can only sit tight and wait, but these two lads have surely explored a different side to the genre, and it’s just what we needed to hear. 

​