A walk in the footsteps of Jul

A car stopped at a red light with its windows down. A rap melody in auto-tune mode escapes from it, recognizable from the first notes and 100% local: it’s Jul’s. In the streets of Marseille, it’s an ordinary scene, the artist is played so much. In other French towns, or even elsewhere in the world, is it becoming the same too? That’s for sure because Jul’s popularity seems unstoppable. At the end of 2024, Spotify uncovered its Spotify Wrapped, the yearly report on user listening. The guy from Marseille hit the top of the chart… for the fifth year running. In 2020, he became the biggest seller of records in the history of French rap. Born in 1990, Jul, whose real name is Julien Mari, grew up with his mother in the 5th arrondissement of Marseille, in the Cité Louis Loucheur, in Saint-Jean-du-Désert quarter. In his texts, the Mediterranean city which has always inspired him, is there at every punchline. And as he summarizes it so well, « Marseille, my town, I love it to death » (« Alors la zone », Demain ça ira album , 2021).

In 2020, Jul got together the headliners of local rap under the banner of the 13 Organisé. The video clip of « Bande organisée », which stars – among others – SCH, Naps or Soso Maness, rapidly reached 100 million views on Youtube. Everyone (or almost) has heard at least one his famous lyrics (here the passage sung by Kofs) « 1.3, Audi Sport, j’passe la douane les rapports / Nique ta mère sur la Canebière / Nique tes morts sur le Vieux-Port / Mi amor, c’est les quartiers Sud, c’est les quartiers Nord ». This was also the backdrop for the clip by « Bande organisée 2 », where the artists were filmed on the roof of a bus. Another famous scene: On 8th May 2024, with the arrival of the Olympic flame in Marseille by sea, the ceremony’s surprise guest set the audience on fire on the Vieux-Port. Fans or just curious, keep walking to Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, in the Quartier de Vauban, where the OM Marseille soccer team inaugurated in 2024 a city stadium in his effigy.

Jul also has his own pop-up store. Head for the Joliette quarter and more precisely its mall with a view of the sea: Les Terrasses du Port. Each time the opening of the Jul Store is announced, on the release of a new album, the fans line up there. After having been as patient as possible in the queue, they buy T-shirts, caps, albums with logos and flip-flops and socks (Jul’s favourite outfit). Those who are aiming for the total look don’t have to go far: at the Terrasses du Port, there is also a Decathlon store. A particular favourite of the artist: « I made some money and I buy my gear in Décathlon », he proudly sings in « Je dirais plus je t’aime » (La zone en personne album , 2018). So it’s quite logical to meet fans here who have come to buy Kalenji tracksuits and Quechua jackets to polish their style.

In the Mediterranean city, rap and soccer are closely linked. True to his origins, Jul the Marseillais is no stranger to this tradition, quite the contrary. « Bande organisée » opens with several shots filmed in the dressing rooms and on the lawn of the Orange Vélodrome. On 6th June 2020, Jul was supposed to perform there. But the event was cancelled due to COVID. Finally, it was only postponed and he sang there in 2022… And made a song of it: « 4 juin 2022 » , (Extraterrestre album, 2022) : « en claquettes dans la zone, j’fais chanter tout le Vélodrome ». He was back on the stage on 24th May 2025. From the Orange Vélodrome, you can walk to l’Escale Borély in 45 minutes. This sea front with its ferris wheel and bars is a star location for his song « Alors la zone » : (album Demain ça ira, 2021), which we never bore of: « J’ai trouvé un bail j’suis pas là / J’suis pas à Dubaï, j’suis à l’Escale ».

Not a good idea to go there as a tourist, but there’s nothing to stop you from listening to (or watching the video clip) « Marseille quartier nord », with GGN and Bayssou. Jul is even displayed on the walls: his portrait, signed by the artist Hoveh, stretches up in a 23-metre high fresco which adorns the facade of a building in the 16th arrondissement, near the Cité Consolat. You can see it clearly from the A55 motorway. And to cap it all, there are two other places in Marseille – among others – mentioned in Jul’s songs: Boulevard Sakakini, in the 5th arrondissement (in « Sakakini », Rien 100 Rien album , 2019) : « J’fais un live, tu les vois faire le signe Jul sur le boulevard Sakakini ». And Chemin de Morgiou, with the Baumettes prison which you’ll see on the title track (Indépendance album , 2021). Have a good musical wander. And long live Marseillais rap!