Through Instagram I was approached by a French record label: would I do the photography for a new album by none other than the rapper Orelsan? The direction was in the hands of the famous duo Greg and Lio, known for their iconic music videos. I was flown to Toulouse, where we had hired an entire metro station full of extras.
Because I like to work in uncontrolled, documentary settings, I suggested we also ride a real metro full of passengers. What a surprise it was that all of Toulouse, young and old, knew Orelsan,and he treated everyone who approached him with endless patience and kindness. Together with Greg and Lio we roamed the streets for a full twenty-two hours in search of that perfect shot.
I was originally to deliver six photographs; from around 150 good ones a selection was made for the album. Basique, the single directed by Greg and Lio, has more than 111 million views, and the album went six times gold,the best-selling album of 2017 in France. A fan recently even asked to use some of my photographs for a tattoo.
