From gangsta rap to French presidential politics: The colourful career of Mr Evil - François Hollande's new speechwriter
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President François Hollande has a new speech writer - whose pen name is “Mr Evil”.
He is also one of France’s most respected commentators on rap music.
And while most people would agree that Mr Hollande’s speaking style is dull, his choice of new script-writer does appear, however, rather extreme.
Is the French president also going to abandon his dark undertaker's suits and change his name to, say “Fat Frankie Dutch?”
Unfortunately not. Pierre-Yves Bocquet, 40, already works in the Elysée Palace. He is a sober-looking, bespectacled, meticulous man who has attended all the usual finishing schools of the French political elite. He will become Mr Hollande’s new speechwriter later this month.
Mr Bocquet has, however, a second life, as “Pierre Evil”, a music journalist and expert on rap. He has written a much admired French book on gangsta rap.
Fred Hanak, a French musician and journalist, says that he is “one of the three best French critics of rap”. He describes him as an “undercover character in the manner of Batman or Banksy or Kissinger”.
Many people in the music world do not know that Mr Bocquet is also as senior political operative, who attended the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), the pinnacle of the French educational pyramid. Many people in politics were unaware, until his cover was blown by the French press this week, that he was also an expert on American (but not French) rap music.
Pierre-Yves will now, he has let it be known, give up being Pierre Evil (get the pun?). He has left his musical career behind and will concentrate on his new job of making Mr Hollande interesting and exciting.
There is no question, it seems, of turning the President’s speeches into rap lyrics. Pity. But one can always dream.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments