Orelsan

Since the birth of his career, Orelsan has seen his work and image compared to American rapper Eminem over and over again. Like Eminem, Orelsan’s French rap lyrics can flip between the absurd to the extreme with seemingly no effort at all. And, like his American counterpart, Orelsan is also no stranger to controversy, after facing a slew of political and legal backlash surrounding his song “Sale Pute,” which the rapper no longer performs.

While some fans of the rapper may have initially been drawn by the press coverage surrounding his controversial lyrics, Orelsan was always destined for success in his native France. His lyrics are fresh and intricate. Hear him perform live and you know that it is no small feat to perfect his flow. On stage, Orelsan feels each and every word he spits down the microphone. A big, fancy on-stage set up is not required for an Orelsan show; his lyrics, his mic and, of course, him are the only things needed to capture a crowd’s attention. Orelsan’s sets are always tight, but the track he always 100% nails live is “Social Suicide.” After hearing him perform it live last year it became my personal favourite, and I think if you go to one of his shows it will become your favourite track too.