Jul

Hailing from Marseille, the remarkably productive French rapper Jul asserted himself as a dominant force in hip-hop during 2014 by issuing his platinum-certified debut Dans Ma Paranoïa together with two further full-length projects. Over the ensuing years his relentless pace of releases was matched by sustained commercial dominance, establishing him as the country’s top-selling rapper and a regular presence in the Top Five, with several albums often charting in the same calendar year. Little evidence of any slowdown appeared as the decade closed, a point underscored by the expansive double album La Machine that arrived in 2020.

Born Julien Mari, Jul first surfaced in 2007 within the rap collective Ghetto Phénomène. Still in his teens, the Marseille native honed his skills alongside Houari, Bil-K, and Friz Veazy before departing the group in 2009. During the following years he cultivated a hybrid style that fused dance music with rap, ultimately securing a contract with Liga One Industry in 2012. His solo breakthrough in 2014 stood out both for its sales impact and for the sheer volume of output: three LPs appeared within twelve months—Dans Ma Paranoïa, Lacrizeomic, and Je Trouve pas le Sommeil—one certified gold and the other two platinum. By year’s end he ranked among French rap’s leading figures; after parting ways with Liga One he launched his own imprint, D'or et Platine.

Assuming complete artistic oversight, he wrote, recorded, and produced his fourth album, My World, which reached listeners in late 2015. The project extended his streak by debuting at number one in France and achieving diamond status. Maintaining his accelerated schedule, he returned in early 2016 with Emotions, an effort that reunited him with former Ghetto Phénomène associates and additional collaborators. The release became his second consecutive chart-topper, initiating a further succession of number-one albums that included 2016’s L'ovni and 2017’s Je Ne Me Vois Pas Briller. Across the next two-and-a-half years he delivered five additional full-length projects, each attaining at least platinum certification; by the decade’s conclusion Jul had outsold every other French rap artist, generating considerable expectation for La Machine.