Kerchak: The new brute force of French rap

At only 20 years old, this rapper from Bois-Colombes in the 92 is destroying everything with a style that has the effect of an atomic bomb: the jersey drill. But let's start at the beginning. Kerchak, his real name... well actually we don't know, was born on February 19, 2004 in Soisy-sous-Montmorency.

Kerchak's journey is a bit like a boxing film where the hero goes from loser to champion. At first, his name was Zolal (the word for "la lose", just that) because he apparently was bad at Fifa. But like any good boxing movie, our hero trained hard, changed his name to something more badass, and became a rap war machine.

Jersey drill, what is this madness? Basically, it's as if English drill and American jersey club had a turbulent child raised on steroids and Red Bull. The result ? Sounds that make you want to smash everything in your room while moving like a man possessed. It's fast, it's violent, it's addictive. Kerchak explains: "I rap on sounds at 160 to 170 bpm, otherwise I get bored. It has to go quickly in the ears." In other words, if you're looking for lullabies, move on.

What's crazy about Kerchak is his productivity. The guy makes sounds like Eminem makes insults. In 2022, he released his mixtape “Confidence” in just three months. Three months ! Most of us take longer to decide which Netflix series to watch. And the craziest? He did this on his way to class. Yeah, while you were struggling with your math homework, he was becoming the new sensation of French rap.

Lyrically, Kerchak is a bit like mixing a slang dictionary with the gangsta rap encyclopedia. Violence, deals, robberies... the kind of stuff that freaks out parents and thrills thrill-seeking teenagers. He even uses a kind of coded language, adding "gue" in the middle of words. “The zone” becomes “la zoguene”. It's a bit as if Molière had taken up rap, but in a quoted version.

However, don't be fooled, there are times when things go a bit out of control. The misogynistic punchlines are starting to get annoying in 2024. When he says things like "I said girl I'm going to kick half to the curb", it sounds more edgy kid than visionary rapper. But hey, the guy is 20 years old, we're not going to ask him to have the wisdom of Gandhi either.

What's cool about Kerchak is that he still manages to balance his tough guy persona with touches of self-deprecation. When he compares himself to the Totally Spies or makes fun of his own physique, it adds a nice dimension to his character. And then the little “kisses” at the end of the sounds, it’s so offbeat that it becomes funny. It's like Scarface ends his sentences with heart emojis.

Musically, it's killer. Jersey products are so addictive that it should be classified as narcotic. It gets in your brain and it refuses to come out. The only downside is that over an entire project, it can become a bit repetitive. We would have liked a little more variety in the samples and melodies. Imagine a jersey drill on the theme of Totally Spies, it would have been completely crazy!

What's fascinating about Kerchak is the contrast between his hardcore rapper persona and his real life. The guy who raps that he's going to "cut everything" and who has "a big knife that doesn't cut", he's actually in BTS. It's a bit like Tony Montana doing an internship at Apple. It shows that behind the bad boy image, there is a kid who has a head on his shoulders and is preparing for his future. And frankly, it's rather reassuring.

In conclusion, Kerchak is like a sonic uppercut that knocks you out from the first listen. It's not perfect, it's not always very fine, but damn it's effective. The guy represents a new generation of rappers who are changing the face of the game. The old guys are going to have to hold on to their dentures, because the new wave is coming, and it's not here to laugh.

So yes, there are things to improve. The lyrics could gain in depth, the treatment of women in the texts deserves a good polish, and musically, there is still room for experimentation. But damn, when you listen to Kerchak, you just want to set your life on fire and go on an adventure. And in the end, isn’t that the goal of rap?