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• The Artistry of Yixing Pottery: The K.S. Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

Because of all the headline-dominating brouhaha from the likes of Kanye, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and co, it can be easy to forget that hip-hop does happen outside of the US, often in another language – and that it can be really quite good. It’s even easier to forget that in Hong Kong, where (apologies to 24 Herbs) there’s not much of a hip-hop scene at all. So when a hip-hop night blips onto the radar, it should be easy for it to get attention – and when it’s a French hip-hop night, it should stand out even more. 

When Canada’s Accrophone, who hail from Quebec City, and French rapper Fisto (from St Etienne in France) arrive in Hong Kong at the behest of the Canadian Consulate and Alliance Française (free concert alert!), they’ll bring to town a brand of rapping infrequently seen on our shores.

Fisto, who describes himself as an “introspective” lyric writer, combines elements of jazz and hip-hop to produce his MC Solaar-like raps. Once signed to Sony – before parting ways over creative differences – Fisto has forged a successful solo career in France, hovering between the mainstream and the underground, as well as being part of the excellent jazz-rap unit Sofa So Good. “I mostly rap about my personal feelings, like a reflection,” says Fisto (real name Olivier Chervola – and no, he’s not named after the Masters of the Universe character). “I put a lot of myself into my lyrics. I often speak about human behaviours and relationships… I stick to developing truly human elements that are universal.”

Fisto, who arrives in Hong Kong at the beginning of a China tour and will be backed by DJ Nemo, promises a night of “rap in its purest form”.

Meanwhile, Accrophone – Claude Bégin and Eman Lajoie-Blouin – bring us rap with a more poppy bent. The duo, who have known each other since they were kids living in the same apartment block, have released two albums under the Accrophone name, and, despite being from a market where French rap doesn’t have much room to grow, have played in front of as many as 12,000 people. “We don’t pay attention to gangster rap,” says Lajoie-Blouin, who says they produce songs about love and experience rather than bitches and hos. Citing influences from Bob Marley to James Brown and Busta Rhymes, Lajoie-Blouin says Accrophone bring a “jazz-world vibe” into their performances.

And so hip-hop once again flickers briefly on to Hong Kong’s radar. The question now is how to keep it there. We can’t rely on the French to save us on this one.

Hamish McKenzie

Fringe Club, March 14