Well, kinda obvious, but I can’t help but start with the obvious: La Gale is french for bile. I don’t know about other cultural meanings, but in german language the bile symbolises anger, rage and bitterness.

Music-wise La Gale is rooted in Punk. Birthwise she’s connected to the Libanon, while culturally she identifies with a certain protest-driven scene and sub|culture: against oppression. do not obey. self-organize. …transculturally speakin‘ she’s an alien to the rap-scene, but feels respected at the same time, as she stated in an interview with norient.

why rap? seems like simply because she wants to. No ‚I did nothing else since I was was a kid‘- background story, no sudden change of attitudes. La Gale started in 2007 and eventually released the eponymic album in 2012. This is to say: she spent five years on stages all over europe and showed proof of her commitment before she released the record.

Personally I experienced her stage performance as very serious. Somewhat self-rightous. But she’s definitely intoxicating. While french hiphop is known for it’s melancholic, often sombre ambience, Christian Pahud, behind the beats of La Gale, amplified this effect by channeling her rhymes with industrial, metallic, impulsive production.