I'm posting this only now because I just came back from wonderful
holidays in VietNam. So here are some news from France, sorry for the
long post and the poor english...
****** French Compilations out recently *******
The one mentioned in many posts, is called "Nouvelle Vibe", it's the
one with the foot on the cover, the name of the label is What's Up,
and it features DJ Jeff +Steeff, Undo aka DJ Loik (Loic Dury from
Radio Nova), Alex Gopher, St Germain, DJ Deep, DJ Manu + Lex, DJ Gilb
R (Gilbert Cohen from Radio Nova), DJ Pedro, Cheikh Kamel, DJ Cam
Quartet, Buzz Bomb. It's actually released by the What's Up Bar, a
place here in Paris where all these people spun last year.
There is also "Source Lab", a compilation regrouping "l'avant garde du
hip-hop francais", as the advert says, featuring La Funk Mob, Hypnotik
Dee Jayz, DJ Gilb-R, DJ Manu/Lexi (X.Pensive), Bazbaz, DJ Lbr & Cut
Killer, Air, Raggasonic, Lumumba (from La Cliqua), Daphreephunkateerz,
Motorbass, DJ Cam, La Chatte Rouge, Alex, The Mighty Bop. The label is
apparently called Source...
Unfortunately, I hav'nt listenend to these compilations, from what I
heard and read the second one should be very good... Had'nt the time
to go to a record shop yet!
******* French artists *********
This is something like a sum up of artists that were mentioned in the
previous postings about french rap, with informations about them when
I have some....
Solaar: let's start with the first one, that as someone here said
probably originated most of the things here in France... Well he's now
working on his third album, I don't know if Jimmy Jay is still his DJ
since he was'nt for the tour, but anyway the LP is due out in march at
least (not before, I mean).
Talking about J. Jay, after doing the french sessions vol. 1 he
started his own label to promote french artists (like Menelik or
Democrates D). He is supposed to work on the french sessions vol. 2,
along with many other projects of course.
In Solaar's posse, as can be heard on the freestyles of his LPs, there
are many people: Soon E MC, Menelik et la Tribu, Melaaz, les Sages
Poetes de la Rue,...
Melaaz (former vocalist of Solaar) has a LP out called Melaaz on BMG,
Menelik has one called Phenomenelik on Jimmy Jay Records/Soul
Circle/Sony; it's quite nice, the producers are Jimmy Jay, DJ Seeq
(Soon E MC) and Logistik (Sages Poetes).
Then there are the DJs of La Funk Mob, who occasionely worked for
Solaar, that are doing a lot these times (see compilations above).
About Solaar, it would be ok for me to try to translate a song, but
since my english is'nt very rich I make the following proposition: I
could translate it "roughly", leaving blanks where I don't know the
words, and pass it along to Bambi or someone like him who is fluent in
both languages to finish the work... does that sound good? I must warn
you that I'm very lazy as well :), but in my opinion Solaar's lyrics
are really worth it. (oh yes Bambi: je n'ai toujours pas trouve
l'information que tu m'avais dit de chercher, mais je ne desespere
pas; en tous cas ta cassette etait mortelle, merci encore).
Other things out recently:
Da Free Phunkateerz : "Phree Phresh Phunk EP" - Artefact = aka Eric
Rug, some electronic kind of stuff, with a DJ Cam remix.
La Cliqua: Concu pour durer (Arsenal Production/ Night & Day): some
hardcore hip hop, that wants to sound like New York (and sometimes
manages to do it); quite good, but I'm not very impressed by hardcore
in french, don't know why.... except perhaps NTM and Assassin; anyway
they are from La Fourche, that means around the corner from my house
in Paris:)
Other artists mentioned: I Am: rappers from Marseille, in the south of
France (la planete Mars), and very proud not to be from Paris. They
had a huge hit a year ago with "Je danse le mia", but they are quite
good.
Sens Unik: having a hit now with "Respect", their DJs are excellents
NTM, Assassin, Ministere Amer: as someone said, they represent french
hardcore
Fabe: his LP, "Fabe surprend ses freres", is out since half a year
now, and is quite good; smooth rap in the vein of Solaar, he was known
before for his "J'aime pas" song.
Malka Family: funkers in a P Funk way from le Marais (in the
center-east of Paris); the "main" group of Big Cheese Records. They
are really good live, with a huge band and a famous brass section.
Mad in Paris: acid jazz band, successors (?) of Malka along with Dis
Bonjour a la Dame.
Silent Majority: a very good swiss band, as is also No Se. No Se do
raps in french and in spanish as well, and I like a lot the raps in
spanish, but I don't understand them all....
******** other things .... **********
1: yes, Gargamel was indeed the bad guy from "The Smurfs"/"Los
pitufos"; and his cat was called Azrael.
2: Arthur H has a single in an acid jazz vein called "Cool Jazz"; don't
know the label, but it's really nice, the lyrics tell the story of a
trumpet player that kills his wife because she can't stand his
practicing... Arthur H is the son of Jacques Higelin, a french singer.
3: about Jovanotti: he is a star in Italy (he recently made a song
with Pavarotti for something, can't remember if it was Bosnia or AIDS
or whatever), a singer, a DJ, a TV showman, he was doing some crappy
italian house a few years ago, but apparently moved to some good funk,
as his single "penso positivo" seems to indicate... perhaps he has met
the right guys!:) I know the are some italians on this list, they
certainly can help more about that!
4: about rap in french, why it seems to flow well: don't know the
answer to this question, just a remark: in french, all the stresses
are on the last "syllabe" (?) of the words, and maybe that contributes
to build a rythm that is special to this language; hem I don't know if
I express well what I mean here, I hope at least those of you who know
a bit of french will understand...
Well, that's about all for now, hope it helps.
Salut
Daniel