The differences in rap, and how that explains Solaar’s Lève toi et Rap

[timotee_allouch-chantepie]

As a franco-French early Gen Z kid, I had no choice but to grow up listening to old French rap. 1995, NTM Supreme, Hologram Lo’ and most of all, MC Solaar, were all founding figures of my musical childhood and teenage years. Another founding genre of my musical taste is American rap, it being probably my most listened genre with names like Lil Baby, Gunna, Future, Young Thug, K-Dot, Cole, Wayne, Tupac… From my learning and progressive timely understanding of these genres, I don’t believe they should even share the same name. To me, they are world’s apart: In the sound, the rhythm, the flow, the level of language, but most importantly, the message. While American rap has a much more loose, and much more « read between the lines » message, French rap is the polar opposite with a very « in your face » way of transmitting a song’s meaning. In addition to that, while American rap sprung out of America’s « hoods », notably Compton (had to mention the hometown) and the Bronx, French rap was « adopted » into its banlieues, such as St-Denis, with inspiration from America’s rap scene. Because of this, old French rap (not recents like Zola, Damso…) has an entirely different connotation as a genre than American and Canadian rap scene.

One of the discussion questions was « What kind of image does MC Solaar present of himself in relation to everyday violence and education, and how might it be in tension with the machismo or rebelliousness of his hip-hop sound? » In answer to this, I’ve read many of the discussion posts that saw a clear opposition between the scholarly lyrics and the hip-hop sounds. But what my perception at least of what French rap has served to do is to create this exact image, of the individual amongst the crowd, in opposition to American rap which is more an image of a crowd and crowd pleasing. I can clearly identify the beat as French rap as well because of the vibe I get, so even the first times listening to this song when I was only 10 or 11, it didn’t surprise the activist/studious nature of the lyrics.

In terms of how MC Solaar perceives the racism and violence in Paris, I think he takes a step aside, positioning himself as an observer of it, but paradoxically an observer of his own suffering. He can not avoid it because of its omnipresence but his lyrics give off a sense of narrative omniscience, while staying deeply personal. It reminds me of one of my favorite French rap songs, « Saleté de Rap » by Hologram Lo’ and Georgio, which I’ve always believed was heavily inspired by Lève toi et Rap, maybe the name gives the connection away. In Saleté de Rap, the rappers talk about society’s problems around precarity, lack of motivation, misogyny and general life in banlieue, but they do so in a way that always implicates people around them, as observers. In a way, French rap promotes seriousness and sobriety much more than the more popular American rap, which is why I don’t think there really exists a disconnect between Solaar’s lyrics and his beat.