Every speech Booba makes is scrutinized because his freedom of speech is so great. The 47-year-old rapper was the headliner of the first edition of the Golden Coast, the first 100% rap French festival that took place in Dijon on September 13 and 14.
In an interview published in Le Parisien, this Sunday, September 15, the artist pointed out the small share given to rap in French festivals, according to him. “It makes me happy to be in this 100% rap festival. Finally! Since the Urban Peace fiasco at the Stade de France (in 2013)there was nothing,” he recalls.
“What the hell are the others doing?”
For Booba, rap doesn’t have the place it should have. “France is still racist, rap is still denigrated. It’s the most listened to music, but I’m still not played on NRJ, Skyrock, Fun Radio…”, notes the rapper.
So, when the opportunity to perform at a 100% rap festival presents itself, Booba seizes the opportunity. “It’s symbolic. The founder of the Golden Coast, Christian Allex, was the first to book me at a festival, the Eurockéennes, in 2017. I’ve only been doing festivals for seven years, I was blacklisted until I was 40. I’m returning the favor,” he explains to justify his presence.
The French rap legend was also on the bill for the “Rose festival” in Toulouse this summer, a festival organized by two other rappers, Bigflo and Oli. “My first reaction: two young guys from the provinces who manage to organize such a big festival, who would have believed it? And my second: what the hell are the others doing? Lots of old guys could do it. Why doesn’t IAM have its festival in Marseille?”, he wonders.
For his part, the author of Sweet Roomone of the hits of 2024, does not close the door to organizing an event. “The next concert I want to do in Paris will be in this collective spirit. I would like to do it symbolically at the Parc des Princes, as a nod to Boulogne, where I come from.” In September 2022, Booba became the first rapper to fill the Stade de France.
- BFMTV.com
