DJ Djel

Based in Marseille, in the Belsunce district, DJ Djel discovered hip-hop in the late 1980s through graffiti before turning to mixing and production. After stints with the crews RDR and then 313, he was shaped by the Marseille scene developing around the Old Port and IAM's freestyles. With La Fonky Family, of which he became the DJ, DJ Djel took part in the rise of Marseille rap in the 1990s and 2000s. His work blends the art of mixing, scratches and productions marked by boom bap, with dry rhythms and recurring nods to soul and funk. Alongside the group, DJ Djel develops projects under his own name and continues to work as a beatmaker and producer in contexts ranging from concerts to clubs. DJ Djel's trajectory links the early days of hip-hop culture in Marseille, the history of La Fonky Family and a practice that still brings together collective work, musical selection and production.