Ghetto Phénomène - En catimini

The studio album En catimini was released on October 6, 2017, on the Caroline International label. This sixteen-track album, with a total duration of 1 hour 2 minutes, sees the group formed in the early 2010s consolidate its collective identity in the face of the progressive dispersion of its founding members. The opening track is En catimini and the closing track is Mama.

Transition of the group after historic departures

The release of this album takes place in a specific biographical context, succeeding the studio album La Vida Loca (2017) and preceding Money Time (2019). At the time of the release of En catimini, the original configuration of the collective was disrupted by solo departures. In 2016, Houari embarked on a solo career and is no longer part of Ghetto Phénomène, while Jul left the group under the pseudonym "Juliano" for his solo career. This physical separation did not break the ties with his former associates; Jul remains present as a producer and performs feature appearances with the group. The album thus falls within the period when the group is evolving post-Juliano's departure and post-Houari's departure, proving its ability to produce a complete studio album without relying on the former majority status of the historical members.

Architecture of alliances: the integration of key figures

The production of the album relies on the documented presence of three external artists, confirming collaborations with these artists. The album includes 3 tracks featuring them, thus integrating the key figures Jul, Naza, and Dadinho through the three tracks Copacabana, My God, and Marseille. On the track Copacabana, it is Jul who appears as a featured artist, confirming his status as a former founding member who left the group for a solo career but remains present through feature appearances. These collaborations serve as strategic pivots for the album, transforming a period of internal transition into an opportunity to highlight recognized voices. This collaboration strategy is part of a continuous trajectory where Jul is often present with the group and will produce and feature alongside them, as can be seen on the tracks Léwé (Jul's free album vol.2) or On est trop (Platine) released in 2016, before the release of En catimini.

Notable tracks and framing of the project

The opening track En catimini sets the tone for the album, while the closing track Mama provides a distinct ending. The album features 16 tracks, including the opening track En catimini and the closing track Mama. Among this list of sixteen tracks, the tracks Copacabana feat. Jul, My God feat. Naza, and Marseille feat. Dadinho occupy a central place as the only tracks with a credited featured artist(s). The numbered tracklist confirms this distribution: track 4 is indeed Copacabana feat. Jul, track 12 is My God feat. Naza, and track 15 is Marseille feat. Dadinho. The featurings confirmed by Spotify are therefore indeed these three tracks out of 16 with credited featured artist(s).

Evaluation of artistic ability in the face of changes

This studio album by Ghetto Phénomène certifies the collective's ability to produce a dense and coherent record despite internal compositional changes. The presence of Jul, although he left the group under the pseudonym "Juliano", illustrates the persistence of ties between the former members. The group was formed in the early 2010s by Friz, Veazy, and Bil-K, with Houari and Jul as members at the time, but En catimini shows how the entity continues to exist without them as regular active members.

Technical information [1] En catimini задает тон альбому, а Mama завершает его. В альбом вошло 16 треков, включая заглавный трек En catimini и заключительный трек Mama. Среди этих шестнадцати треков центральное место занимают треки Copacabana feat. Jul, My God feat. Naza и Marseille feat. Dadinho, поскольку они — единственные треки с указанным в качестве артиста-исполнителя. Номерный перечень треков подтверждает эту структуру: трек 4 — действительно Copacabana feat. Jul, трек 12 — My God feat. Naza, а трек 15 — Marseille feat. Dadinho. Таким образом, подтвержденные сервисом Spotify сотрудничества с артистами-исполнителями действительно ограничиваются этими тремя из шестнадцати.

- Release date: October 6, 2017 - Label: Caroline International - Tracks: 16 (1 hour 2 minutes) - Opening/closing track: En catimini / Mama - Guests: Jul, Naza, Dadinho - Previous album: La Vida Loca (2017)