Discreetly, DJ White Socks has just released one of the most unique albums in the history of Quebec rap.
First, because it brings together the cream of local MCs, with among others songs from Raccoon, Imposs, 20some, Mike Shabb, RVLR Magz and Jimmie D. The work expresses itself therefore as much in French as in English.
Then, because it is indeed an album and not a compilation of disparate pieces. We’ll come back to that.
Extract of Official Freestyle Hoodie
Le titre, Aequanimitas, est un mot latin qui se traduit par « équanimité », l’égalité d’âme, d’humeur. « C’est l’équilibre émotionnel », simplifie Christophe Jbeili, alias DJ White Socks.
Les rappeurs, dans leur résilience par rapport aux épreuves d’une carrière dans un milieu underground, font preuve d’équanimité.
DJ White Socks
« Mon grand-père a écrit ce mot sur son épitaphe. Il était très équilibré, très contenu, comme mon père l’est également, puis comme j’ai tendance à l’être. C’est pour ça que je suis fan de Roc Marciano », ajoute-t-il en riant.
White Socks n’est pas aussi talentueux au micro et à la console que le rappeur de Long Island. Il sait toutefois ce qu’il aime et connaît les artistes capables de concocter la musique qu’il souhaite entendre. C’est armé de sa passion pour le hip-hop et de son carnet d’adresses qu’il a conçu son premier album.
Adolescent, il rappe au sein du Lupus Clan, qui réunissait des membres de LaF. Au bout de quelques années, White Socks estime qu’il lui manque « quelque chose de légitime à dire » et abandonne le projet d’album avec son frère. « Cette période m’a tout de même donné la piqûre durable pour le rap. […] I wanted to contribute to the culture, so I bought two SL-1200s and a Pioneer mixer in order to become a DJ. When I returned to UQAM, in 2016, I launched my show [Pôle hip-hop à CHOQ]. »
Bringing together the two solitudes
Thanks to this, to his contributions to the old HHQc site and to his podcast Bad language, White Socks meets a host of artists. “I have friends and contacts in many sub-cultures of music and, for me, it has always been a great thrill to connect those who at first do not seem to have report together. »
This philosophy guided the creation ofAequanimitasof which he is the artistic director, or curator, as popularized by Westside Gunn. “I have this knowledge of local artists and the audacity that allows me to imagine that they can find themselves if we give them the space. To me, it makes total sense to have Imposs and JRed The Doctor on the same album. They have the same bases, the same musical roots,” explains the 29-year-old creator.
The majority of production is masterfully handled by GenericTM, which has already worked with Eman, KNLO and SeinsSucrer. The latter is also found on the album, just like his French-speaking compatriots Nawfal and Lova.
Extract of Young Fioriby DJ White Socks (with Lova)
On the English side, Aequanimitas also benefits from the presence of Mori$$ Regal and Young Rose.
Extract of Last Dinnerby DJ White Socks (with Young Rose)
I am a young person with an immigrant background, so, just in terms of identity, I have links with many different backgrounds. I have French-speaking and English-speaking friends. I have poor friends, rich friends. Code switching and the principle of adapting to each context is innate. I wanted to represent it in this album, while maintaining a certain coherence.
DJ White Socks
“I wanted to create a work that can be listened to from start to finish, like a film,” he continues.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Figure8 and DJ White Socks in studio
The interludes produced by GenericTM and nomtks, including those that sample an audiobook by William Osler, add to the cohesion of the whole, which relies on boom-bap rhythms and drumless. « Generic and Figure8 [qui a enregistré, mixé et matricé l’album] didn’t count the time they put into this project and I’m really grateful. »
“Christophe does so much to spread this music and this culture,” Figure8 intervenes, sitting with us on the terrace of his studio. I’m really glad I didn’t miss this opportunity. The more it progressed, the more I realized that it was worth giving all this time, because I knew the result would be incredible. »
Rap
Aequanimitas
DJ White Socks
Hip-Hop Records division
Who is DJ White Socks?
Christophe Jbeili, aka DJ White Socks, is above all a music journalist specializing in hip-hop. He co-hosts the show Hip-hop center on the airwaves of CHOQ and leads the podcast Bad language.
Through meetings with local artists, such as Mike Shabb and Raccoon, he developed a network allowing him to produce a unique Quebec rap album.
Aged 29, White Socks, who is of Lebanese origin, takes her stage name from her mother who used to bring her white cotton socks from Egypt, where she works part of the year .