Le fléau (English:The Plague orThe Scourge) is the fourthstudio album byCongolese-French singer and rapperGims, released on 4 December 2020 on theTF1 Group and Play Two labels.[1] A reissue entitledLes vestiges du fléau (English:The Remnants of the Scourge) was published on 28 May 2021.[2] A second reissue titledL'Empire de Méroé was released on 3 December 2021.[3]
During confinement,Gims announces on a liveInstagram a 100% rap album for the month of October 2020. According to some publications on his Instagram, Gims reveals that his album would be an 80% rap album contrary to what had been announced.
On 28 August 2020, Gims published on streaming platforms the single "Yolo". on 2 September 2020, the music video of "Yolo" was released.[4] on 21 September 2020, he posted a video on social networks announcing the first single from the album, "Immortel", for 25 September 2020. On 25 September 2020, Gims released "Immortel", a purely rap sound where we find a Gims from the time of theSexion d'Assaut. At the end of the video clip the album was announced for 6 November 2020.[5]
On 23 October 2020, he published on streaming platforms the single "Origami". on 30 October 2020, the track listing was unveiled; the full album also leaked on the Internet one week before its release. On 3 November 2020, through his social networks, Gims postponed the album because of theCOVID-19 pandemic but no date was announced.[6]
On 6 November 2020, Gims released "Oro Jackson" in collaboration withGazo as well as "Jusqu'ici tout va bien", which also serves as the theme song of theTF1 series,Ici tout commence. On 7 November 2020, he issued the video clip of "Oro Jackson"[7] on 10 November 2020, he released the music video for the track "Origami".[8] On 26 November 2020, he announced on social media that the album would be released on 4 December 2020.[9]
On 2 December 2020, the new track listing for the album was revealed, with 17 tracks including nine collaborations with the rappersVald,Kaaris,Heuss l'Enfoiré,Leto,Bosh andGazo.[10] On 3 December 2020, Gims released the music video for "Jusqu'ici tout va bien". On 11 December 2020, he released the music video for "Sicario" in collaboration withHeuss l'Enfoiré.[11] on 5 April 2021, he published the song "GJS" in collaboration withJul andSCH,[12][13] as well as the song "Belle", in collaboration withDadju andSlimane. "Belle"'s music video was released at the end of the day.
On 28 April 2021, Gims announced the reissue of the album, titledLes vestiges du fléau, which was released on 28 May 2021.[14] On 19 May 2021, he published the track listing, consisting of 10 tracks including eight collaborations and two solo songs. Among the guests of the reissue, in addition to Jul, SCH,Dadju andSlimane, participate, in particular, international singers such as the EgyptianMohamed Ramadan, the TanzanianRayvanny as well as the German-Albanian singerDhurata Dora.[15] on 28 May 2021, the same day as the release of the reissue, Gims released the clip of "only You" in collaboration with the German-Albanian singerDhurata Dora.[16][17]
On 8 October 2021, he released a single in collaboration withVitaa named "Prends ma main".[18] On 4 November 2021, Gims announced the second reissue of the album on his YouTube channel, titledL'Empire de Méroé with a release date of 3 December.[19]
The title of "Oro Jackson" is strongly inspired by the Japanese mangaOne Piece of which Gims is a big fan. Indeed, it is the ship of the legendary pirate Gol D. Roger, the pirate king.
In Oro Jackson's music video, we can note the appearance ofH-Magnum, 1nsolent, Landy,Abou Tall, Guy2Bezbar and Bedjik, Gims's brother.
The "Immortel" music video has a committed vision as it is inspired by several injustices known to mankind:
The death of Lige Daniels, a 16-year-old African American boy. The latter was killed by hanging on 3 August 1920 by theKu Klux Klan, which accused him of having killed an old woman.[20]
The guillotined death of French lawyer, journalist and revolutionaryCamille Desmoulins on 5 April 1794, at the age of 34. Themurder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man by a white policeman,Derek Chauvin, during an arrest 25 May 2020.[21]
The altercation between the police and the young people directly alludes to the riots in theFrench riots, which began inClichy-sous-Bois following the deaths of Zyed Benna and Bouna Traoré on 27 October 2005. The latter were electrocuted in the area. enclosure of an electrical substation after escaping during a police check. On this same scene, we can note the appearance ofKaaris andSoso Maness.[22]
The elephant in the clip is personified by the state. On his Snapchat story, Gims, disguised as a peasant in this part of the clip, explained that this elephant is the source of everything the government can do to its citizens. He explains that the peasant is crushed by debts or even taxes despite his living environment. He also explains that the latter do not forget anyone and that everyone is tracked, which is represented by the memory of the elephant.[23]
The eye of the parallel world in which Gims finds himself is personified by the Internet. In his Snapchat story, he explains that this eye is the source of several cyberbullying that ended in suicides because of social networks. One can think of the death of Amanda Todd, a 16-year-old Canadian teenager, who committed suicide in her home on 10 October 2012, as a result of the harassment she suffered.
The death ofGeorge Stinney, a 14-year-old African American boy. The latter was electrocuted on 16 June 1944 following the murders of two white girls: Betty June Binnicker, aged 11 and Mary Emma Thames, aged 8. He will therefore be cleared 70 years later after his execution.
The death ofEddie Slovik, a 24-year-old US Army soldier in World War II. The latter was killed on 31 January 1945 for desertion by the American military police. He is therefore the only American soldier to have been shot for desertion during World War II.
