25 Years of French Hip-hop

A Short History of French Hip-hop, with one track by year. I couldn't mention all good rap crew. If you like the tracklist, check also La Cliqua, ATK, L'Armée 12, Kerry James, Svinkels, Les Gourmets, Akhenaton, Les Sages Poètes de La Rue, Busta Flex, Hocus Pocus, Fonky Family, La Rumeur...

The Roots

French Hip-hop didn't exist yet, but we could find some seeds, in the USA, with Beside singing in French on an American tune, and the Great Gainsbourg sampling a hip-hop chorus.

1983 Fab Five Freddy feat. B-side - Change The Beat
1987 Serge Gainsbourg - Your Under Arrest

The Youth

MC Solaar, NTM, Assassin and IAM are the founding fathers of French rap. They created a real French sound, inspired by, but different from the American model.

1990 MC Solaar- Bouge De Là
1991 NTM - Le Monde de Demain
1992 Assassin - L'Ecologie: Sauvons La Planète
1993 IAM - Le Shit Squad
1994 MC Solaar - Nouveau Western

The Golden Age

French Hip-hop was now matured and the best LPs were released those years. I put two great songs with prestigious American featuring.

1995 NTM - Affirmative Action feat. Nas and the Firm
1996 Doc Gyneco - Ma Salope A Moi
1997 Afro Jazz - Striclty Hip-hop feat. Old Dirty Bastard
1998 Idéal J - Un Nuage De Fumée
1999 Saian Supa Crew - Angela
2000 Lunatic - Pas Le Temps Pour Les Regrets

The Renewal

While some artists became huge stars, some became commercial or redundant, others tried new ways, incorporating electronic music, Arabic music, chanson, ragga, or jazz... and rap about new topics.

2001 Oxmo Puccino - Le Laid
2002 113 - Les Bronzés
2003 Klub des Loosers - Baise Les Gens
2004 TTC- Dans Le Club
2005 La Caution - Thé A La Menthe
2006 Oxmo Puccino - Perdre Ou Gagner
2007 James Delleck - Gérard de Roubaix
2008 Sefyu -Mon Public

Best of 2008: the Sweetest French Kisses

Everything worth listening released in France this year that reached my ears.

Some songs were not available on deezer so I put them on special posts (Ez3kiel, Orchestre National de Barbès, Caravan Palace). What else? Alain Bashung, Mathieu Boogaerts, Arthur H, William Sheller, Spleen, Rockin' Squat, François Breut, Anaïs, Bumcello, Charly Greane, Tahiti 80, Manu Chao, Noir désir, Mr Oizo, Thomas Fersen, Christophe, Psykick Lyrikah, Jocari, Stereolab, Kid Loco, Syd Matters, Justice, François Virot, Sebastien Tellier, Booba.

Ez3kiel in the battlefield

One of the most interesting band of the 2000s. They released their 6th album in 2008, Battlefield.

"A Piece of Africa mislaid close to the Sacré Coeur"

L'Orchestre National de Barbès (National Concert Band of Barbès) gives an electric blend of rock and musics of Maghreb (chaâbi, raï..). Why Barbès? Because it's the most mixed district of Paris, with a strong Arabic and African community.

Orchestre National de Barbès - Alik

If Django was alive in 2008

He could sound like Caravan Palace, a very good mix between electronic music and Gypsy jazz. They released their first album in october 2008.

Links: Myspace

I Love You

Matthieu Boogaerts is saying so in his 7th album released last month. One of the most singular and interesting album released in 2008.

Listen to the whole album on jiwa.fm
His Official website site

Brassens, an umbrella and a Gorilla

A gem of a song, 50 years before Rihanna. Notice the repetition of the sound [i] which suggests the sound of the rain, and the slow down during the Chorus, like time has stopped under the umbrella.

Georges Brassens - Le Parapluie


One of the most famous song of Brassens, a funny tale against death penalty. The song is one of his most controversial and was banned of French radio for years.

Georges Brassens - Le Gorille (uploaded by Lightening494).

Kitch is everywhere

Mayde, Mayde, 80's are back. Sometimes, it would be better not to dig up cheesy French hits.

France Gall - Ella Elle l'a written by Michel Berger, 1987. Ella, She has it, is about Ella Fitzgerald.



Kate Ryan - Ella Elle L'a 2008

Winter in Paris and Autumn Leaves

As the last leaves have fallen to the ground in Paris, a little selection of nice covers (among many others) of the standard Autumn Leaves, by Yves Montand, Edith Piaf, Miles Davis, Nate King Cole and Roger Williams. The song was written in 1945 with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by the poet Jacques Prévert.