In a feat of artistic endurance that has sent social media into a frenzy, Franco-Algerian rapper Rilès has just completed a grueling 24-hour, non-stop performance, hand-painting thousands of covers for his new album, "THE 25TH HOUR."

 

The event, livestreamed from a studio at 10 Rue de Turenne in Paris, began on October 24th and saw the artist meticulously create over 20,000 individual album sleeves. While the stunt was designed to promote the new record, it has instead ignited a fierce online debate, splitting audiences between wholehearted admiration and baffled criticism.

 

Supporters have flooded the artist's social media, hailing the performance as a masterclass in marketing and fan dedication. "Great marketing ! Genius," read one popular comment. Another, with nearly 200 likes, wrote, "Faut le faire quand même ! Au moins un artiste qui donne tout pour ses fans ! L’exclusivité ainsi que l’originalité" (You have to do it! At least an artist who gives everything for his fans! The exclusivity and originality).

 

 

However, for every adoring comment, a wave of skepticism emerged. The simple "One question: Why ???" amassed nearly a thousand likes, while another blunt comment, "What a stupid thing to do," collected over 2,700.

 

One of the most-liked critical comments, with a staggering 16,426 likes, simply stated: "what a waste of paper."

 

The debate reached its peak as thousands of users began contrasting Rilès's artistic "performance" with the reality of their own daily labor.

 

"I worked 12 hours today," stated one user, whose comment garnered over 5,500 likes. "12 hour shift guys laughing in corner... I mean me," another echoed.

 

This frustration was best summarized by one viral comment that racked up nearly 4,000 likes: "People saying this is my hero, are you guys crazy? It means most of the warehouse workers should be your heroes as well. They are working harder than that and more hours."

 

This very comparison led a third group to interpret the performance not as a promotional stunt, but as a deliberate artistic statement about modern labor. "i thought this was like an art piece about sweatshops," one user, with nearly 8,000 likes, mused.

 

 

Another offered a detailed analysis in response to the "Why?" comments: "idk if u know about the deep representative effect of performance arts. This could be interpreted subjectively. I see it as the draining condition of capitalism and long work hours that turn people into overproductive machines."

 

As Rilès finally put his hand down, prompting one user to comment, "I’m thinking about the best sleep he will have after this " (20,224 likes), the purpose of the event seems fulfilled.

 

Whether viewed as an act of "Genius," a "waste of paper," or a profound critique of labor, one thing is certain: everyone is now talking about "THE 25TH HOUR" as over 20 million people have watched his reels and livestream.