June 11, 2021
Hydrophonik Records
Context & Artist Quotes: Zum Zum is a dancing and sultry Afro song to spice up your summer. With his sung-rap, David Campana makes us want to sway our hips to the rhythm of the percussions from the first sentences. It is also a beautiful collaboration that the Smooth Criminel offers us by inviting the renowned KNLO to rap on the composition signed by mammouth (composer of Cabeza for Oboy, gold record in France).? "It's while listening to Burna Boy's project last summer that I realize I really have 'the sauce' to make that kind of dance hall-sounding afro track. With my tone of voice and my sung-rap, I naturally embark on a sensual and dancing vibe, hence my nickname - "Smooth Criminal". I also take inspiration from my personal life a lot of times to write my songs, and in Zum Zum - I don't censor anything, I just put in a little bit of coating. When I suggested to KNLO to come on board, he said: "Send me the beat and I'll tell you, because in the end, it's the music that speaks." Five minutes after sending him, he calls me back to tell me he already has his verse (laughs)!" Those who liked "Change pas", from David Campana's debut album "Bonjour, Hi", will appreciate Zum Zum's energy which is even catchier. "With sounds like that, you only want one thing: it's for people to get in there and let the dance go, and I know Zum Zum is up to the challenge." - David Campana Bio: Perseverance, ambition, resilience. These are the three themes that punctuate the work of David Campana, rapper, singer, author and director from Montreal. Born to a Haitian mother and a French father, Campana grew up in a thriving family environment, where the music of Michael Jackson resonated just as much as the choir singing of the church in his neighborhood, which gave him a first taste of the stage from childhood. But it was not until his late teens that he discovered the genre of music that would change his life: hip-hop. While a film student at Cegep Limoilou, he was hit hard by the lyrics and universe of Soprano, Kery James, Medine, Maitre Gims and other legends of French rap. Soon after, it will be the turn of Kanye West, Drake and The Weeknd to change his vision of music thanks to their inventiveness and their ease in combining rap and R&B. As attracted by sounds as images, the Montrealer forged a strong musical and visual identity in the mid-2010s under the pseudonym HDC. Following the release of a double mixtape in English (MYNB) and several collaborations with producer LTK, he decides to assume his identity and assert himself in his true light. Thus the rebirth of David Campana. The multidisciplinary artist does not take long to reap what he has sown. In 2018, he was chosen by WordUP! Battles to participate in the 11th edition of La Releve se leve, a showcase that highlights the best prospects of the local rap scene. The following year, his VYB music video was nominated at the Gala Dynastie, while his brand new alliance with rapper Shotto Guapo and producer Major made its way to the semi-finals of the prestigious Les Francouvertes showcase competition. Helped by a stage show worthy of a hip-hop opera, the performance given by the talented trio is decisive for Campana's young career. More than ever, he wants to blur the boundaries between artistic disciplines and musical genres. And that's exactly what he will do on Bonjour, Hi, a first solo album that earned him a nomination in SOCAN's annual top 5 "rap queb" revelations and a mention as "rap keb" artist of the month by the radio giant iHeartRadio. Released last spring under Hydrophonik Records, the album crosses rap, R&B, soul, pop and trap in a vibrant and warm fusion produced by Novengitum, a trio of Franco-Quebec producers who have built their reputation with renowned artists like Aya Nakamura, Oboy and Youssoupha. But beyond its musical mixtures, Bonjour, Hi is the embodiment of the talent and ambition of David Campana, a sensitive and authentic artist who displays his emotions without shame. Having become a master in the art of "Frenglish", the Montrealer's debut album puts him in the company of exceptionally talented Quebec rappers such as Obia the chef, dope.gng and Franky Fade. In 2021, he's back on duty with Trop de love, an EP produced by Majosty, in which we discover a more direct David capable of switching at any time into something darker. Between Trap-Soul and Cloud-rap, sometimes with Drill influences, sometimes RnB, this project once again demonstrates the scope of what David is capable of doing both in rap and in singing. Proof that you can make your place in the rap world without following the usual rules.