Seth Gueko

Seth Gueko, real name Nicolas Salvadori, born 27 October 1980 in Pontoise, is a French rapper. Or rather a "Barlou": a hooligan in all his glory… a state of mind that cultivates difference, living on the fringes, resourcefulness… and tattoos too! Over time it has become a true community, bringing together everyone who refuses to follow the rules blindly without thinking… and who backs the Barlou "in chief", the general, Mister Seth Gueko.

With more than 13 projects to his name and hundreds of collaborations, Seth Gueko has nothing left to prove. An unavoidable figure of French independent rap, he made his mark with landmark albums such as Michto or Bad Cowboy. He blends deadpan humour and provocation to create a unique style, both offbeat and authentic. He has no need for cheap provocations or artificial buzz to exist: his identity is enough.

A true Géo Trouvetou of languages and expressions, Seth Gueko, in the image of Alex DeLarge, the tragic hero of Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, skilfully mixes the slang of crooks, louchébem (the butchers' jargon), verlan and the Manouche language of travelling people. With a streetwise, cheeky Parisian titi side reminiscent of Michel Audiard, his universe is brimming with references drawn from pop culture. To start with, his stage name is inspired by the character Seth Gecko in Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk till Dawn.

Over the years, the Gueko has reinvented himself and shaped a unique persona, drawing on the worlds of Emir Kusturica, Jack Nicholson, vampire and zombie films, or his friend JoeyStarr. Not forgetting the influence of Kustom Kulture in the style of Von Dutch, with Harleys and hot rods with ultra-powerful engines. Add to that the mythology of tattooing, a slightly macho touch of X, plenty of barlous and a good dose of destruction… That is Seth Gueko.