Eklips

Born in Autun in Saône-et-Loire, Eddy Blondeau, performing under the name Eklips, develops a singular practice at the crossroads of rap, beatbox and vocal imitation, focused on the codes of French and American hip-hop. Active since the 1990s, initially in local groups and then within Remède, Eklips moves to Paris in the early 2000s and performs at numerous open mics, opening acts and mixtape formats before expanding his activity to solo performance. His work rests on reproducing the flows, timbres and intonations of rappers, but also on a more musical approach where the voice serves as percussion, bass and a rhythmic structure. This aesthetic gains broader visibility with his videos devoted to the history of hip-hop in beatbox and with his voice pastiches, released online from the late 2000s. Eklips also participates in NTM's tour in 2008, then in Kery James' tour in 2019. On the discography side, he releases the EP Skyzofrench Rap in 2012, the album Monster in 2014, the EP Lips in 2017, then Hiphop History in 2018 and Not 4 Sale in 2019. Between concert, radio, dubbing and live performance, Eklips occupies a hybrid space where technical demonstration, rap culture and vocal interpretation meet.