Dubmatique is a French-Canadian hip-hop group consisting of Disoul (Jérôme-Philippe Bélinga), OTMC (Ousmane Traoré), and until 2001, DJ Choice (Alain Benabdallah). They are the first French-language rap group from Canada to achieve a Number 1 hit single on Francophone pop charts, and are thus considered an influential figure in the world of French-speaking hip-hop. The group came about after Disoul and OTMC became friends as young men in Senegal in the 1980s. Disoul moved to Montreal in the early 1990s and joined the hip-hop radio show called Dubmatique, which slowly turned into a group. OTMC moved to Canada shortly afterwards and joined his friend’s group, followed by DJ Choice. The group made its first appearance in 1994 and were on stages performing by 1995. The group released their first album, titled La Force de Comprendre, in 1997. It was a smash success for the group and for French-Canadian hip-hop, selling 125,000 copies and achieving platinum certification. As time went by, the trio became consummate performers, playing over 150 shows over Quebec by the time of the release of their sophomore effort, the self-titled Dubmatique (1999). The album continued the group’s success, selling over 35,000 copies in its first week. Their third album, Influences, saw the light in 2001 and was the first Dubmatique release without the participation of DJ Choice. The group earned the Félix Award for Best Hip Hop Album of the year. In the mid 2000s, the duo split up to pursue solo projects, reuniting in 2009 to release their fourth full-length Trait d’Union.
