DJ Kebab conquers France
Published on
Translation by:
Nicholas DobsonDiscover the anguished rap of a Turkish Kebab seller who has signed with EMI
His name is Lil'Maaz, he is 27 and he is Turkish. It was only a short while ago that he sold kebabs, high calorie meat sandwiches which are specialties of his country, the craze of every European capital, especially among the youth. Lil'Maaz used to work in the 18th arrondissement (district) of Paris, made famous in the film Amélie. But it's the other side of the hill of Montmartre, thank you very much - the working-class side of the arrondissement which is assigned to immigrants. Today, Lil'Maaz, who has always had something of a vice for music, has started an internet craze with his anguished song Mange du Kebab ('Have A Kebab'), whose catchy tune sticks in your head, a sort of hip-hop sauce seasoned with middle eastern sounds.
The clip, drunk with self-derision, is enjoying a real buzz marketing campaign. In addition to being on his MySpace page, the clip has already been viewed more than 400, 000 times on Daily Motion, the French YouTube. Today, thanks to a client who works in a recording studio next to Lil'Maaz's restaurant, the young Turk, already re-baptised 'DJ Kebab' by the by the prestigious French newspaper Le Monde, has landed himself a contract with EMI. From 6 August, his single will be available in all record shops. Farewell to kebabs, Monsieur Lil'Maaz?
Translated from E DJ Kebab conquista la Francia