French Hip-Hop: From Funk a Billy to MC Solaar - Essay Sample

Introduction

French hip-hop generally began in the 1980s as various hip-hop shows started to appear on Paris radio such as Funk a Billy which was ghosted by Dj Dee Nasty and Rapper Dapper by Sidney Duteli. In November that year, the New York rap tour travelled to London and France that featured Mr Freeze, Grandmixer DST, and Africa Bambaataa who wanted to spread hip-hop across Europe. However, the first French hip-hop major star was the Senegal born MC Solaar who had moved to France in the 1970s as a child. People started to realize that the French language suited perfectly with the genre (Durand, 2002). Thus, MC Solaar set many records in the industry, such as the first French hip-hop artist to sell a million records. Following his breakthrough, hip-hop diversified in the country as broad styles started to emerge. For instance, Supreme NTM and Assasin were hardcore performers who assumed the aggressive style while Lionel D, Dee Nasty and MC Solaar maintained the Mellow Sanguine aesthetic. Many of the hardcore rappers found themselves in controversies, especially in regard to their lyrics which was accused of glorifying crimes, and violent behaviour like the American gangsta rap.

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Additionally, just like many other countries, French hip-hop has huge connections with American hip-hop. According to Brooks (2005), the ghetto life depicted in hip-hop videos represented what it means to be oppressed. He also feels that gangsta resistance is one of the most compelling approaches on how to campaign against oppression (Brooks, 2005). The gangsta lifestyle and images of the American hip-hop appealed to the young and poor immigrants in France in their bid to fight oppression and discrimination they had experienced in the country. Contrary to Brook's ideas, Jody Rosen (2005) felt that Brook's arguments were only based on a few samples of aggressive French rap that contained violent lyrics (Jody, 2005). H thinks that Brooks did not analyze the French hip-hop from the larger scope which discredited rappers of fantastic wit and skill in the country. By the onset of the new millennium, studies suggested that the country was the second largest hip-hop consumers across the world. Francophone rap was also encouraged at the start of the 21st century after the French ministry of culture mandated all radio stations to play a minimum of 40% of the local content. Over the years, French hip-hop has been cited from borrowing too much from American hip-hop. Various aspects of the American genre have also left a mark on the French hip-hop culture such as sounds, jewellery, the videos, clothing and fashion. As hip-hop moved into the new millennium, it grew to become one of the most popular genres in the country. Artists started to develop rapidly with commercial success and international recognition.

The main themes in the hip-hop culture in France include puns, humor and most importantly, opposition from the social order. Even though the early French hip-hop was seen as a part of the American genre, French hip-hop artist has added their own ethnic and cultural aspects in the mix. With the emergence of the illusions of Egyptian Pharaoh's, it is evident that they are trying to create their own space in the social scene (Durand, 2002). The genre can be identified by two major categories; hip-hop from the south, which is affiliated with cities like Marseille and hip-hop from the north, which is associated with Paris and its suburbs. The different cultural and social background of the two regions makes the two subgenres different from each other. Lyrics from the north are generally straight forward talking about clashes with the police, ghetto life, gang wars and drug trade. On the other hand, in the south, the lyrics are more socially conscious with content focusing on the cold reality of life the country and fight against discrimination. Similarly, many of the artists come from impoverished outskirts of large towns. The social and political status of immigrants and minority groups has a direct influence on the genre as many artists draw their lyrics from their upbringing.

Historically, French hip-hop has also been political, and most researchers feel that the genre owes its success to its strong social demand. Over the years, France had been adopting radical policies against minority groups and immigrant families. For instance, there is a controversial debate in the country about whether muslin women should be allowed to wear the hijab in the contemporary world which profiles domestic policies which have led to the establishment of a shifting set of inequalities. Most of these campaigns on change and political outcries are championed by the youth who have used various genres to present their grievances. Hip-hop has been one of the most significant genres the youth have expressed their needs in their bid to set themselves free from political constraints. The protests of the French hip-hop can be likened to the economic boom in the country after the Second World War. France did not have the labor force to sustain the fast-growing industries (Prevos, 1996). The government resulted in outsourcing manpower from their colonies in Africa to fill the gaps caused by the lack of personnel. In the i94os, the immigration ministry was formed to look into the immigration of new workers. The ministry was discriminatory in its policies as newly arrived workers from Africa did not get the same employments opportunities as other immigrants as they often ended up working as menial employees and civil servants living in the worst housing projects. These issues of economic and social imbalance formed the basis of French hip-hop lyrics.

From the language perspective, even though the American hip-hop culture has hugely influenced hip-hop, most lyrics have remained in French. French music is generally characterized by suggestive phonetic combinations, play on words and puns. Varian is the dialect of choice for most French artists as it is based on the inverse of the original French language. In different scenarios, hip-hop artists rap in different languages on tracks including English, Jamaican or Arabic. The languages do not affect the main themes of the songs as it remains to put forward the frustrations and anger of the many disadvantaged groups in the country. The genre is also unique for its expressive and flowing tone in the French language which gives it a unique identity especially with the utilization of Verian which is difficult even for French speakers to understand what the artists are putting forward. According to Marc Martinez (2011), one of the most exciting things about hip-hop in France is the fact that philosophy and poetry are hugely accepted in France, and even more accepted in French (Marc Martinez, 2011).

French hip-hop has had a huge impact on pop culture. The image of the hood, has assimilated itself into the French pop culture in the form of attitude, accessories and clothing. The illusion of the hood image, which in France is known as the banlieue has also found its way in big-screen movies (Miranda & Claes, 2004). The apparent glorification of the hood in both cultures is a symbol of where these ideas are coming from. The similar characteristics of the genre in different areas imply that hip-hop movements are bred from rebellion. The money, the drugs and the guns are generally aftermaths of a difficult life in the hustle. Such glorification is also a reminder that there is a market even for people who do not understand the realities of the hood wishing to take advantage of the image. Even though the French rap still remains affiliated to the American rap in terms of lyrics talking about guns, women and money, many artists also send out important messages by talking about their origins and African culture.

Conclusion

In conclusion, French hip-hop generally began in the 1980s as various hip-hop shows started to appear on Paris radio. Some of the pioneers of the genre in France include Dj Dee Nasty, Sydney Dutelid Mr Freeze, Grandmixer DST, MC Solaar and Africa Bambaataa. Just like many other countries, French hip-hop has huge connections with the American hip-hop scene. The gangsta lifestyle appealed to the young and poor immigrants in France in pursuit to fight oppression and discrimination they had experienced in the country. However, in some aspects, French hip-hop still sticks to its main themes of puns, humor and most importantly, opposition from the social order. The genre also has a huge impact on the pop culture as the image of the hood has assimilated itself into the French pop culture in the form of attitude, accessories and clothing.

References

Brooks, D. (2005). Gangsta, in French. New York Times, 10.

Durand, A. P. (Ed.). (2002). Black, Blanc, Beur: Rap music and hip-hop culture in the Francophone world. Scarecrow Press.

Miranda, D., & Claes, M. (2004). Rap music genres and deviant behaviors in French-Canadian adolescents. Journal of youth and adolescence, 33(2), 113-122.

Marc Martinez, I. (2011). Intermediality, rewriting histories, and identities in French rap. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, 13(3), 18.

Prevos, A. J. (1996). The evolution of French rap music and hip hop culture in the 1980s and 1990s. French Review, 713-725.

Rosen, Jody (2005). "David Brooks vs. gangsta rap". New York Times.