MC Solaar

Real name Claude M'Barali, MC Solaar was born in Dakar to Chadian parents exiled in Senegal on March 5, 1969. He may not have been the first French-speaking rapper to receive media coverage, but he is undoubtedly one of those who helped bring this previously confidential musical style to the attention of the general public. Introduced to the rap scene by Dee Nasty on Radio Nova, he met with immediate and widespread success with his debut album Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo (1991), which included the hits "Bouge de là", "Caroline " and "Victime de la mode". His poetic, referential lyrics, fluid samples and nonchalant flow set him apart from the crowd as a songwriter and performer, and made him the only French rapper to be accepted by the general public and insiders alike. In 1994, his second album, Prose Combat, confirmed his status as a French rap star, not least thanks to the track "Nouveau western", based on a sample by his writing master, Serge Gainsbourg ("Bonnie & Clyde"). MC Solaar, then at the height of his fame, entered the circle of "celebrity" personalities. His third album, Paradisiaque (1997), was less successful, and his next, MC Solaar (1998), was more intimate. The 2000s saw the phenomenon normalize with the albums Cinquième As (2001) and Mach 6 (2003), in search of his African musical roots, and Chapitre 7 (2007), his last recording before a ten-year silence. Retired from the studio, MC Solaar didn't return until 2017, with the track "Sonotone", the first single from Géopoétique (2017), which saw him return to his singular, inimitable style. This return continues with the track "Tout se transforme" for the Transformers film soundtrack (2023) and the first part of a trilogy, Triptyque : Lueurs Célestes (2024), followed by Triptyque : Éclats Cosmiques (2024), whose single "Okay " features singer Marie-Flore.