An iconic venue in Marseille, L'Affranchi has stood on Boulevard Saint-Marcel since 1996.

Versatile, it hosts concerts as well as artist residencies, has a recording studio, and trains DJs through introductory and advanced courses. At its helm is Miloud Arab-Tani, a loyal and dedicated member of the team, who has countless anecdotes about the world of rap: “The rap group 3^e Œil came to rehearse at our place when they started out, just like Fonky Family or Akhenaton when he was working on his project with Faf la Rage. In that sense, I was lucky enough to attend these private concerts with only the technicians, the band members, and the staff of L'Affranchi as an audience. I still remember IAM's rehearsals for their Retour aux Pyramides concert; it was magical. » Having joined the adventure even before the venue was built, he took charge of the management and administrative side to set up this ambitious project, which aimed to be accessible to the widest possible audience: “I started working as a volunteer, then I was hired as an administrator. A year before the opening, I became the venue's director, a position I've held ever since.” "L'Affranchi quickly became a venue loved by both the public and the artists, and Miloud Arab-Tani witnessed some legendary moments: 'I used to listen to rock or reggae, but I quickly fell into rap. Psy 4 de la Rime with Soprano always ended the evenings with legendary freestyles.'"

Even today, the 380-seat venue serves as a springboard for young artists: "I'm lucky to have Gilles R by my side, a programmer who listens to everything happening on the current scene." And although he's considering retirement in a few years, Miloud Arab-Tani remains passionate about his work: "What I like best? Supporting artists and seeing people having fun and enjoying themselves. It's a real thrill."