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     MC Solaar makes music that is smooth, funky and intelligent. His specialties are internal rhymes and jeux de mots, clever and rapid-fire twists of the tongue that can leave the listener scrambling to keep up. His melodic voice glides effortlessly from rapping to singing, tossing in a growl or a whisper for effect. Fiercely literate, his raps are steeped in both the modern and the traditional, and each word seems carefully chosen.

     His dense, poetic lyrics set him apart from other artists in rap: where many stay focussed on the gritty reality of life in the banlieues and the HLMs or the daily struggles that they have experienced and witnessed, MC Solaar tells a wider range of stories. Notably absent is the violence and aggression often heard in rap and hip-hop. Many rappers decry social injustices, calling for change via activism and the ballot box, but Solaar - collector of dictionaries, lover of literature - transcends the political by aiming for the spiritual. His power lies in making music that is as classical in form as the works of Rimbaud, Baudelaire, or Hugo, yet with a fresh, urban face.

    To hear a sample

"Perfect"

"Nouvelle genèse"

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MC Solaar
Item 04743  $21.95 CD
Songs: Onzième commandement, Galaktika, La 5ème saison (with K-Reen), Perfect, Les songes, La n'est qu'un moment, Vigipirap, Message de l'ange, Nouvelle genèse, Je me souviens, L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur. Lyrics included.


     The music on this release is often sparse and unobtrusive - the voice is the main instrument on this album. The first song is a tale of international espionage, "Onzième Commandement": "Aéroport opération Condor/ Pour changer de décor avec un faux passeport…Je suis en mission pour mon governement/ Force de subversion/ Onzième commandement." The next song,"Galaktika", is a bouncy, mid-tempo groove. "Suis-moi! Rien à voir avec la NASA/ Je te mène en orbite sur le Galaktika," he invites. In the sweet, optimistic "La 5ème Saision", a radio hit in France,  MC Solaar reveals his hopes for the future: "C'est la 5ème saison/ Loin du froid…Un nouvel Eden, un espoir".

     An excellent illustration of Solaar's lyrical talents is the song "Perfect". In the space of a four-minute song, he manages to incorporate several themes: a young woman's aspiration to be a model, the self-hating reaction of the women jealous of her perceived perfection, and the author's own desire for and admiration of all women. "Je m'adresse aux femmes vous êtes toutes: PERFECT," he concludes over the slinky bass line and insistent rhythm.

     This collection of songs was produced in part by Boom Bass, whose brother Sinclair lends his voice to the song "Nouvelle genèse". The closing song, "L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur", finds MC Solaar critical of materialism: "Donne-moi du foie gras, j'veux pas manger de porc/ Voilà parlent les nourissons du Quartier Nord/ Ils ne veulent plus de ce couplet/ L'argent n'fait pas l'bonheur, ils veulent essayer".

     Another funky, fascinating release from one of the most literate and progressive artists in music.

 

Also available from MC Solaar:

"Paradisiaque" Item 04552: $24.95 CD $16.95 Cassette. Songs: Ganster moderne, Tournicoti, Zoom, Le sens de la vie, Dakota, Illico presto, more. Lyrics included.

"Prose Combat" Item 03512: $22.95 CD, $16.95 Cassette. Songs: Aubade, Obsolete, Nouveau western, A la claire fontaine, Superstarr, La concubine de l'hémoglobine, Dévotion, Temps mort, etc. Lyrics included.

"Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo" Item 02852: $21.95 CD; $16.95 Cassette. Songs: Matière grasse contre matière grisse, Victime de la mode, L'histoire de l'art, Armand est mort, Quartier Nord, A temps partiel, etc. Lyrics included.

 

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