8 minute read
The Evolution of French Rap
from French Rap
The Origins
Before asking ‘how did French rap evolve through the year?’, what is rap? The word itself means
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(OXFORD, 2010)
To understand the origins of rap we need to look back at America and Africa. Mize (2014) narrates it perfectly in his article on the history of rap. He explains that the use of the word was seen around Britain as early as the 15th century and made its way to America in the 60s in the black community to describe someone speaking or talking. However, the roots of it come from Africa where storytellers played instruments while telling stories. Mize (ibid) writes
It was kept during slavery where the people would sing during labor: one leader would sing a part and the group would answer it (which is now called ‘emceeing’).
Many centuries later, in 1973, a man called ‘DJ Kool Herc’ and his sister started throwing parties in their building which was the beginning of Hip-Hop culture. He soon realized he needed someone to sing to animate the parties and had his friend ‘Coke la Rock’ be the first MC ever and so the first rapper in Hip-Hop and founder of Rap music.
(2) Coke la Rock and DJ Kool Herc photographed by Cindy Campbell (1973)
Dee Nasty
Pioneer, father of French Rap : «A couple of artists, knowns as the original French rappers and big classics today, started making their way to the scene, MC Solaar, Suprême NTM, Dee Nasty, IAM, Oxmo Puccino… A lot of them made their first appearances on the radio ‘Radio Nova’ (1987-1988) where Dee Nasty was given a 30-minute daily slot to host, which was changed to a 2-hour one on Sundays. Dee Nasty acted as the founder of French rap on what became known as the ‘Deenastyle’. As Maizi (2016, p. 12) explains in ‘Rap Français’’s intro: freestyles were becoming more popular and future big names such as Mc Solaar or NTM appeared on the show.
Extract from Unit 8 Research Report.
(3) Photograph by Christian Julia of Dee Nasty’s fresca on the street Paul Bert, in Saint Ouen (93), France. The fresca was made by Rast.
La Haine
Written and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz (1995) Starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui
Plotline : It is about three young friends and their struggle to live in the suburbs of Paris banlieues of Paris.
(4) Screengrab from infamous mirror scene in La Haine.
Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine’s (released in 1995) opening scene where a young man starts blasting music on a speaker :
As described in Kiko’s article ‘1995, Une Année de Rap Français’ (2015).
This infamous movie describes the life of three young men in the Parisian suburbs and police violence. Rap music is intricately linked to the French youth, French suburbs, and originally underground genres of music. It wasn’t well seen by the public as it was deemed violent and rude. French rappers were seen as the voice of the suburbs, the politicians of the block.
(Thomas Blondeau, 2016).
Extract from Unit 8 Research Report.
(4) Screengrab from the opening scene starring Cut-Killer, emblematic french hip-hop DJ.
(5) Seine Saint-Denis, french suburbs
As it has been discussed the whole of French rap and rap in general was born in the suburbs, the poorer areas. It was born from young people who didn’t have much money or many means of creating and had things to say that would often be overlooked by the rest of the population.
INTERVIEW
With Tom BENJAMIN
The interviewee being french, all the answers have been retranscripted and translated as they were audio answers.
1. How do you think rap has evolved over the decades ? Good Bad?
I think rap has evolved, it has taken several directions. Rap that was in France at the very beginning no longer exists. The French style is a bit like the American style, the trap, the hyperpop, the drill. France has evolved in a way that is not outdated compared to other styles of music. And that’s very diversifying.
2. What style do you prefer?
I’m more into the new styles of French rap. I listen to what comes out and underground artists. But in English I listen to old rappers like Tupac, Biggie...
3. Who do you listen to the most ?
I find it hard to answer, it’s more musical genres but at the moment I would say «Dirtyiceboyz». This is the one I listen to a lot at the moment.
4. What graphics attract you for the rap covers?
Really it’s special because every period is different. Today there are a lot of old-fashioned covers but it’s a bit pathetic I think now. The covers have always followed the taste of the current period and if we follow this reasoning I prefer the current covers except for a few that really stood out like Tupac (on rap in general).
5. How do you think it is viewed by the majority today?
It is a fact that in France when rap is mentioned on TV or political channels, it is quite an old and bizarre vision ... It is divided between bad and good rap. It’s racialized: black and white rap. Example ‘Bigflo and Oli’ (note : a french duo mostly known for doing boring, nice rap). And those who come from the neighborhoods are frowned upon, they come from the so-called scum neighborhoods and even if they are not (scum), because they come from there they are labeled as such. Internationally known example: ‘Booba’. A guy like ‘Maître Gims’: when he was with his group ‘Sexion d’Assaut’ he was frowned upon, a young man from the city but today he is the black man that everyone loves, he makes French music, even consumed by the people of the state. Because they are the first to distinguish between French and neighborhood people, when you listen to them speak neighborhood people are not French. All this to say that I find that mentalities are evolving but depending on the context it remains frowned upon.
6. Is there anything you’d like to add?
One more example, I make music, I come from the neighborhoods and I have lived there since I was little but I am not a «little scum» so far. Obviously when you come from the neighborhoods it must mean that you are more apt to engage in crime (ironical). Just because I make music and come from the neighborhoods doesn’t make me a bad boy, I didn’t go badly, I work like everyone else, I do things the right way.
The Evolution of Listening means
“It should be noted that with the evolution of listening means over the last decades, the graphics of the sleeves have lost space going from vinyl 12inches canvases to Spotify’s 4.8cm squared image on a phone’s screen. This has impacted the loss of interest of some rappers and clients for sleeve artwork hence artists like Damso only providing black covers with white titles in his albums, such as ’QALF’ (Damso, 2015).“
Extract from Unit 8 Research Report.
1. The Phonograph : The phonograph, was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison. It was the first object allowing to listen to recorded music but it only worked once.
2. LP Record player : The LP record was invented in 1948. You could listen to up to 30 minutes of recording on each side.
3. Cassette tapes : Overtime the cassette tapes (1963) , CDs (1982) and cassette tape player (1979, also known as Walkman) were invented and took over the records.
4. The Walkman, CD Players (see 3) :
5. MP3 and iPods : In 2001, Apple introduced the first iPod with downloadable music. The MP3 took over. It was smaller, easier to carry and contained more music. You could buy music on the iTunes Store which made it even easier to access. 6. Streaming platforms : When music streaming services such as Spotify appeared, it made listening and accessing music easier. It was soon overtaken by the public for its easy access and great prices.
6. Streaming platforms :
When music streaming services such as Spotify appeared, it made listening and accessing music easier. It was soon overtaken by the public for its easy access and great prices.
Top 10 Best selling rappers
French Rap Now
Today French rap is divided between hardcore rap and commercial one. Everyone listens to rap. But not everyone agrees with the darker, stronger messages. Some like Orelsan with simpler messages make it easier to please a bigger crowd. However the stigma is starting to fall, doors are open to rappers, it is so much more popular.
(9) Orelsan who won 'male artist of the year' at the 'Victoire de la Musique' french music award ceremony in 2018. Photograph by Thomas Samson.
Unit 8, Building a Practice, Editorial and Art Direction
A project written and designed by Clem Braud
Graphic Design Communication, UAL Chelsea, June 2021
Read the full publication on ISSUU.
