On February 25th, Grëj unveils PixelTape2, a project where rap mixes with video games to give a singular project. An artistic vision that the artist details at JustFocus! Sometimes everything is played on a CD… for Grëj it is Dr. Dre's 2001 album. The 8-year-old immediately became passionate about hip-hop culture from the first listen. A path that he follows and that leads him to the realization of his first project in 2016 "Grey Tape". Shortly after the artist released two EPs 'GREJ' and 'GREJ 2', followed by his first album 'L'Album gris', and his project PixelTape… it is in this continuity that PixelTape2 is released.
How do you describe your universe?
I am inspired by Vaporwave, that is to say a nostalgia for the 80s and 90s, embellished with a parody side. Besides, we see a lot of references in the clip of Limit Charge! Lo-fi hip-hop also inspires me a lot
Video games are at the heart of your album. Why do they mean so much to you?
My music is a video game! The atmospheres present in Japanese video games inspire me a lot, I try to transmit their sound atmospheres in my music. There is also a personal side: they help me escape from my daily life and remind me of my childhood. I think of those rainy or snowy days, playing Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. with my friends. There were also those afternoons spent in the sun, doing Pokémon battles on our Game Boy Color.
Speaking of Mario Kart we find the man with the mustache on the cover of PixelTape2. Who made it?
It's me and to make it I was inspired by the cover of the video game Mario 64! This choice shows the evolution of my music. While for Pixeltape the image of the game is that of Super Mario Land on Game Boy, that of PixetTape2 is similar to a game released on a game console superior to the Game Boy. 
Pixeltape Pixeltape 2
The first title of PixelTape2 is Limit Charge feat Yuchari. Why did you want to start your album with this song?
This is a nod to a feature used in the game Final Fantasy. Called Limit Charge, this feature inflates the character and all his attacks become powerful! I symbolically stockpiled all the energy to get my project started.
Besides, there are three featurings with Yuchari. How did this collaboration come about?
I discovered Yuchari by chance, thanks to mutual friends. She hooked with the delirious PixelTape so we decided to work titles together. In addition, adding Japanese to my songs sounds like a tribute to the video games that inspired me. It's a logical next step!
Throughout the project we go through a lot of different moods: high with Limit Charge and Athena, vener with Stealth Mode Off, chill with Nostalgia. Why this wide palette?
I wanted to give each song a different level, like in a game. A good video game has various levels and I had fun doing it in music.
Your album ends with Jardin Secret. Listening to the title you have the impression of having an introspective recap of the project.
Yes in part and it's like turning off the game console. I'm getting back into real life. (Photo credit: @shiggybodega )
