Marseille rapper Jul, considered a symbol of the city, lit the Olympic cauldron this Wednesday evening in front of 150,000 spectators gathered in the Old Port. A new feat that adds to the long list of successes of this popular rapper, as adored as he is despised.
His presence was a well-kept secret: it was the Marseille rapper Jul who had the honor oflight the Olympic cauldron in the Old Port of Marseille this Wednesday, May 8, in front of a crowd gathered for the occasion in the Marseille city.
A not insignificant choice, since the rap star was born in 1990 in a modest environment in the city and is therefore often considered a “symbol of Marseille”. 10 years ago, the artist, who is now 34 years old, made a sensational entrance onto the French rap scene, and he has since continued to multiply his exploits.
“Someone who remained very close to people”
Despite his immense success, Jul continued to shoot his videos with simplicity in his neighborhood in Marseille. A simple side that the artist readily claims: “I have nothing against bling-bling rappers, I just remain normal, like in everyday life,” he explained. at the microphone of BFM Marseille.
7 million records, full stadiums… The true story of Jul, the “people’s rapper”
Jul is sometimes described as the “people’s rapper” or “the Johnny Hallyday of French rap”. Although he has become “a mega star”, radio host Fred Musa on Skyrock explained last March in our podcast Featured Title that Jul, “he is someone who has remained very close to people and who continues to live in Marseille”.
“With his somewhat sing-song choruses, he also put Marseille back on the French rap map, while the city could have been a little below. He breathed new life into rap by drawing on pieces of popular culture that he was able to hear, he made a style that went beyond the gates of Marseille”.
“It bridges the gap between the old and new generations,” the specialist also explained. “We had Johnny, the street kid and the people’s singer, and we have Jul, the people’s rapper. Two street personalities who have remained the same: he continues to walk around in a tracksuit and sock slides “.
An artist who sets records
Yet Jul is the artist of all records. Filled stadiums, 26 gold records, 3 diamond-certified albums which exceed 500,000 copies sold. Since 2020, he is also the biggest record seller in the history of French rap, with more than 7 million albums sold in ten years of career.
Its particularity is also that Jul is used to doing everything alone since he composes, performs and produces his own songs. This popular phenomenon is also impressively productive: the rapper produces on average two albums per year, and he is now on his 28th.
In 2017, Jul also won the Victoires de la Musique in the “urban music of the year” category with his album “My World”. With 43 minutes of non-stop rap, he achieved two years later the longest freestyle on Skyrock radio in the show Planète Rap.
In June, he also filled the 60,000 seats at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille for a three-hour show during which he notably composed a live piece with his fans. A moment described as “the obvious meeting of two monuments of the second city of France”.
And it does not stop there. Jul announced his return with new concerts at the Vélodrome in 2025, as well as his first Stade de France for next year. The 80,000 places were snapped up in just a few minutes.
But this rap star, who describes himself as a UFO, has as many admirers as detractors. Some criticize him for simplistic melodies and poorly constructed lyrics, but others like him still recognize “very technical rap”. But whether you love him or hate him, one thing is certain: you probably haven’t missed his signature gesture: the two hands joined in the shape of a gun to illustrate his name in three letters: JUL, which have become its trademark.
Jeanne Bulant Journalist BFMTV