Meet the creative class of 2025

We’re often asked what to get excited about at THE FACE: who the latest rapper to follow on Soundcloud is, which album we should be spinning on the morning commute and whose set is worth checking at the festival. The answer changes from week to week – if not day to day – but largely, the criteria is the same. We want a sound that feels local, specific and, crucially, fresh.

As to why we stand by such a tight, no-frills tick list, the reason is simple. For as long as we’ve been covering culture (a good while), one fact has never changed. That is, the underground – not the old establishment – pushes things forwards.

And so, to toast the latest chapter in Air Max lore – the arrival of the Dn8 – THE FACE and Nike pull together eight artists who embody these core values, both in music and moving image. The results are four, two-minute city-based films launched at intervals, covering Berlin, London, Manchester and Paris.

Exploring the scenes behind a new generation of uncompromising musicians and DJs, the shorts profile hard-hitting lyricist Chy Cartier, transcendental techno titan Cora, 0161 rapper RenzNiro and Parisienne selector Crystallmess. Each star is paired with one filmmaker.

For launch updates, keep your eyes on THE FACE. In the meantime, meet the musical and filmmaking duos behind the films.

Photo by Emi Iguchi

CORA
Based in Berlin, by way of Chengdu, Cora is a Chinese DJ and producer encouraging self-reflection on the German capital’s sweaty dance floors. Though Cora got her start in modelling and acting, it was a chance visit to techno club OMA in Hong Kong that originally gave her the mixing bug. Cora is a spiritual person. In fact, it was the mountain-top temple close to her home that helped inspire her first trance mix made in lockdown. In the following years, Cora has continued to take a similarly intuitive approach to her sets worldwide, playing in venues like Berghain and Amsterdam’s De School, as well as working on her own spacey, intricate productions, sometimes even singing into the mic.

Photo by Emi Iguchi

ANNA VAN DER VELDE
Anna van der Velde​’s work has a curious, if not surreal, effect: faces meld, horizon lines stretch on for what seems like forever, and environments defy basic laws of gravity. In one of her recent personal projects, Anna created an immersive exhibition called Beelzebub (a reference to demonology). Blending film, drones, performance art, 3D animation and soundscaping, the work explores the human psyche’s darker side – one that emerges in periods of grief or via societal pressures. In this vein, Anna’s broader output of work often merges the physical with the metaphysical, inviting audiences to confront deep-seated feelings.

But the film?
A night out becomes a spiritual transformation in this experimental short starring Cora as she multiplies into different versions of herself.

Photo by Jake Allen

CHY CARTIER
​“I’m what them girls ain’t built like /​Cut from a different cloth,” raps Chy Cartier on Different Kettle, and she’s right. Hailing from Tottenham, the 20-year-old lays claim to a distinctively punchy flow that’s caught the attention of industry heavyweights like Doechii, Cench and Little Simz. Her artist name blends her birth name, Chyna, with Cartier, a nod to diamonds and her Sierra Leonean roots. In 2023, Chy made waves with Bossed Up, a track that introduced the world to her tight wordplay, signature fringe and iconic catchphrase, ​“BAP!” Since, she’s been a fixture on many a ​“ones to watch” list.

Photo by Jake Allen

UNCANNY
Made up of London-based filmmakers George Muncey and Elliott Elder – the former comes from documentary and fine art photography, and the latter is an animation-savvy designer – Uncanny is a complementary duo with a calculated approach. Under its direction, we’ve seen singer Obongjayar dancing before a pool of synchronised swimmers, rapper Loyle Carner reimagined as a tree, and artist Slawn selfie-ing next to a towering, Air Max-rocking inflatable sculpture based on his ​“Ugly Bastard” character. Blending grungy references with sharp storytelling, Uncanny’s vision is truly of the now.

Any tip-offs about the film?
Chy Cartier’s work speaks for itself. As such, the Uncanny duo presents the North London rapper’s world with stripped-back honesty, sharing Chy’s lucid and free-flowing love letter to the city with a show-don’t-tell approach.

Photo by Kitwah-K

RENZNIRO
One of the freshest new voices to emerge from Manchester’s underground rap scene is RenzNiro. Known for his potent delivery and knack for storytelling, he started making music in 2019, dropping intense, alt-trap releases like the six-track EP Galleria, garnering a fanbase with his raw sound. Most recently, he’s presented mellower offerings, built on increasingly introspective lyrics and lighter beats, occasionally teaming with local legends Space Afrika to produce tracks like the cinematic Sixteen. When he’s not busy making music, you can find Renz creating visuals and fine art under his other alias, PNA Quaye, where he draws on his diasporic experiences as a British-Ghanaian man. From his early days in Wythenshawe to holding court in the White Hotel, this man bleeds Manny.

Photo by Kitwah-K

RAWTAPE
Whether it’s a music video for Jeshi, a shoot starring Central Cee – or Nia Archives and Danny Dyer together (yep, you read that right) – Rory Wood AKA Rawtape always pushes the envelope of creative filmmaking. Born in Preston, the director got his start in Glasgow, documenting the city’s squat raves and mákina MCs before eventually moving onto bigger projects, directing the music video for Stormzy and Headie One​’s Cry No More and co-directing Pet Shop Boys’ Feel video with artist Corbin Shaw. A fixture on the Mancunian circuit, Rory balances urban grit with dreamy touches, making him a neat fit for fellow scene king RenzNiro.

What can we expect from the film?
Modern Manchester has been co-opted by gentrifying developers for too long, pouring resources into unaffordable housing that original community members cannot afford. In an effort to reclaim the city and the grassroots culture that property tycoons have capitalised on, RenzNiro and a collective of locals combine to build a towering sound system, kicking back in sonic revolution.

Photo by Jérémy Cardoso

CRYSTALLMESS
Ask anyone worth their raving salt in Paris who the city’s best DJs are, and they’re going to mention Crystallmess. Growing up in the Parisian banlieue, Christelle Oyiri first captured mainstream attention during Frank Ocean​’s 2023 Coachella headline show. Given roughly 10 minutes to win the crowd over, her set soon went viral. She’s since brought her high-energy, eclectic selections to the dance floors of Berghain, Boiler Room and her Europe-wide club night, Edging, where she’s invited guests like HiTech and Emma Korantema to join her. When she’s not hotting up clubs, Christelle somehow finds time to make mixed-media art. Her practice has earned her a commission from Tate Modern and seen her perform at Serpentine’s Park Nights in 2023.

Photo by Jérémy Cardoso

LÉA ESMAILI
Have you ever seen a bum spontaneously grow to three times its original size? No? Well, you probably haven’t seen the music video for Emilia and Luísa Sonza’s song, Bunda. Directed by Léa, the video shows the singers on a beach in Rio, running towards a handy velour tracksuit stall after their bikinis snap off – thanks to their exponentially inflating, well, bundas. The video is a classic example of Léa’s work: cheeky and packed with winky commentary on contemporary culture. Based between London and Paris, Léa finds inspiration in her Iranian heritage and a deep fascination with dance – a theme she recently explored in a spunky, 2024 short, The Art of Competition.

And the film?
Through a tangled nest of cables, we trace the journey of a Crystallmess performance in its entirety, moving from the intimate pre-set preparations through to the sonic peak. On the way, we come to see everyday Paris in all its extraordinary detail.