Join Villa Albertine Atlanta and Atlanta Contemporary as they kick off the Villa’s 2025 season of residencies with this event featuring French writer and publisher Walid Hajar Rachedi
During the event, Walid Hajar Rachedi will talk about his work as an author, making connections between literature and rap.
Since its beginnings, rap has continuously invoked literature. Whether it’s through claimed lineage, tribute, or a strong nod, the words of so-called legitimate culture permeate the works of all generations of rappers. While the influence of literature on rap is often discussed, the reverse is less common. Confined to the role of counter-culture, or even 'sub-culture,' relegated to the margins of literary studies, rap, however, inspires the new literary scene: many writers grew up with this music, cite rap albums among their major references, and have drawn inspiration from it to approach language and the world in their first manuscripts. How does this influence manifest? What bridges are formed between these two art forms? What does it reveal about the impact of rap on literature and culture?
© Annie Gozard
WALID HAJAR RACHEDI is a French author and publisher exploring identity, immigration, and societal fractures through his project What’s Left of the American Dream. Born in France in 1981 to Algerian parents, he has lived in Latin America and the U.S. His debut novel, Qu’est-ce que j’irais faire au paradis?, was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize in 2022, and his second novel, Nos destins sont liés, was deeply influenced by rap, one of his foundational inspirations. He is also the co-founder of Frictions, a renowned media platform known for long-form investigative storytelling and podcasts on global social issues.
This event is co-presented by Atlanta Contemporary, as part of their Villa Albertine Artist Talk series, and Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture & Education.
