B13 Ultimatum
Rap Workshop at Espace Riquet
“They are crazy characters. They have grills… But don’t let that fool you.”
When my friend Magee McIlvaine first told me about the group Blackara, this is how he presented them… and I think it’s pretty much a perfect description. Yes, on the outside they have grills, chains, and all sorts of “typical” rapper paraphernalia, but anyone can tell you that these fun, intelligent, and community-oriented artists are anything but typical. Following the election in November, I wrote about X.V. and M.P. Blackara’s radio show and their involvement in France’s 2007 presidential election, and since then, these renaissance men have been constantly on the move. (Even our interview was filmed from the backseat of their car in between appointments!) From transitioning their weekly radio show into a live talk show on cable TV, to having a role in Luc Besson’s French action film B13 Ultimatum, and performing on a regular basis, it is no doubt that they are busy— but that never stops them from giving back.
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