Yelle

You gotta love a good war of the words between artists — especially when it’s also a battle of the sexes… and even better, en Français. Yelle is Julie Budet, a singer/rapper from Brittany, France who dropped a diss track aimed at TTC member Cuizinier called "Short Dick Cuizi.” Umm, how discreet. Well, it worked, and took her from being a MySpace upstart to one of 2007’s best new acts, thanks to a brilliant new album, Pop-Up, released by the Source label (Air, Phoenix). "Je Veux Te Voir” is an update of the beef-stewing track. Assisted by producer GrandMarnier, Yelle confronts the misogynistic posturing of TTC’s dance rap, spitting lines about Cuizinier and his partner in rhyme Teki Latex in compromising positions, eating fries and playing with fetish toys, as well as how he dreams of cruising in a Hummer, though he can really only afford public transportation (let’s hope my grade nine French serves me correctly). GrandMarnier’s electro/hip-hop beat bounces to Yelle’s flow like the best double dutch rhymes on a playground, and the aggressive breakdown at the end helps emphasise that Yelle isn’t some sweet little pop tart looking for a tweenage audience. (Although, kids can probably learn a lot more from this than all of that bubbly bullshit that High School Musical pushes on them. Life isn't a musical kids, get it straight!). Best of all though is how she works the attitude with a brightly-lit, follow-the-bouncing-ball promotional video primed for karaoke. It also helps that she’s groovin’ on flying giant Jolly Ranchers with lots of puffy hearts beating in the background and of course, those soaring keytar jets at the end are magnifique!

Before her European tour with flaming chart topper Mika, Yelle will play two Canadian shows this week: in Toronto at the Social on Friday, October 5, and in Montreal with Baltimore booty man Blaqstarr at Les Saints as part of Pop Montreal. Be there.



P.S. Don’t miss this awesome video by Bastien Lattanzio and Guillaume Berg for Tepr’s remix of Yelle’s "A Cause des Garçons” starring dancers from the wicked Tecktonik crew.