“It’s important to try to represent all the movements of today’s rap”

It’s time for selection. Like every year since 2016, Booska-P, the biggest French rap media, reveals its “11 to follow”. By these “11”, we should not understand the best profiles of European scorers, but the most promising urban rappers and artists for the year to come, selected by the media team. In the video posted on YouTube, the 11 artists take turns performing an exclusive verse. Like last year, each of the freestyles will also be available on streaming platforms; within an album produced by Warner.

This year, the theme of the NBA Draft was chosen to accompany the verses of the rookies on the video. This “11” of 2025 presents profiles already identified by part of the public, such as Yorssy or Theodora but also more confidential profiles such as BB Noyaa. In terms of sounds, fans of beautiful melodies as well as more raw rap sounds will find what they are looking for.

In a dizzying era where rap releases abound by the hundreds every week Amadou Ba, co-founder of the media Booska-P, discusses the importance of this curation format.

This year, the “11 to Watch” format celebrates its ninth anniversary. What conclusions do you draw from it?

It has become a strong event in our culture and a major issue for managers, record companies and producers of developing artists. All year round, I am made to listen to emerging artists. The labels contact me hoping that I will reveal to them names on the list, just to make their market. Something I refuse, obviously.

Recently, I saw a stream from Naskid (Editor’s note: rap producer and Twitch streamer with more than 145,000 subscribers) in which he ranked the best “11” lists. For me, it’s a sign that this is a long-awaited moment.

For several editions, the word “rapper” has disappeared from the title of the list, now called “The 11 to watch”. For what ?

We wanted to fully include female rappers. Also, the music has evolved a lot. Today, names like Tiakola or RSKO may well be in the rap ecosystem, but they are also inspired by other music. The idea behind this name change was to make room for these artists.

In ten years since the launch of the format, what changes have you noticed in artists or their way of thinking about their career?

Before, there wasn’t a lot of money to be had in rap. Things have changed a lot and the opportunities are much more interesting today. Artists are aware of this and arrive better prepared. From the start, they are structured and have a strong artistic vision. At the time, when we approached rappers for the “11” video, everyone accepted directly without asking too many questions. Now they immediately ask what the direction of the video will be, just to know where they are going to go.

Never has the rap offering been so large and varied as today. With the colossal number of daily releases, how do you manage to select all 11?

The task is really not easy. But you have to make choices. For us, it’s important to try to represent all the movements of rap today. For example, when we select JRK 19 for our list last year, we don’t see ourselves selecting an artist in the same slot on the same 11. We really want to make room for other movements.

Besides Yorssy, participating in season 3 of Nouvelle Ecole (Netflix, 2024), the most anticipated artist of the “11” is Theodora, who is a hit with Congolese sauce BBL, freshly single gold. Are rap and urban audiences more ready than before to support female artists?

I hope so ! In my opinion, women are not highlighted enough. This is what we want to do via the “11”, but without falling into a logic of quotas. When we listen to the performances of BB Noyaa or Theodora on the video, we say to ourselves that they have nothing to envy of their male counterparts. I’ve often been asked why I don’t make a list of “11 female rappers.” But to me this question makes no sense. Men or women, it’s the same discipline, the same art.

The video of « 11 to follow » released in its full version on YouTube. As a musical media, is it still an interesting platform to invest in given the place that TikTok and other Instagrams have taken?

It’s certain that she no longer gives the A like she used to. there are fewer certainties than in the past about YouTube’s performance. The platform gives pride of place to long programs to the detriment of short videos and you have to adapt to this. But it’s still an interesting platform for music-related content, just look at the success of the CKO show where Booba was a guest! (Editor’s note: 2.5 million views in three weeks).

Given the emerging trends, what kind of rap can we expect to see for « 11 to follow » from 2026?

In his interview for CKO, Booba spoke about the concern for writing in rap. On this point, I agree with him. More broadly, I sense among the public and the artists alike a desire to return to writing. I would therefore bet on the return of a rap where the pen is at the center.