[o o o]

Now a song that has been apparently (I was not in France then) somehow put into the spotlight during the recent "riots" in France, because of one of its line ("J’ baiserai la France jusqu’à ce qu’elle m’aime"): Tandem’s "93 Hardcore". I have read an album review that was sort of arguing that Tandem was France’s N.W.A., and that this song was their "Straight outta Compton" ("Straight outta Aubervilliers", then):

Tandem – 93 Hardcore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgzkRimUQ0k


In a totally different style, TTC, who actually might be relatively well-known because they are signed on Big Dada (here: http://www.bigdada.com/artist.php?id=36). Friends with La Caution (they made a record together).

Video of a song from their first album "Ceci n’est pas un disque":

TTC – De pauvres riches
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNy3ETXEzOs

Video of « Dans le club » from their second album (nice production on this song), live in concert and live on television

TTC – Dans le club (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o00_EISM4RQ

TTC – Dans le club (live on TV)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5508YbCU0P4


The two big « historic » french hip-hop bands were probably NTM from Seine Saint-Denis / Paris and IAM from Marseille.

"Demain c’est loin" by IAM might be my favourite French hip-hop track: it’s more than 9 minutes long and the beat doesn’t change once, but the lyrics are great, and even better combined with the images from the video (of course, you will miss out a lot, if not everything, if you do not understand French):

IAM – Demain c’est loin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYYMjRvgh8s

Another song from IAM :

IAM – Petit frère
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2rEdM5x4DU

IAM – La Saga ft. Timbo King & Dreddy Krueger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuB2bx_0sr4



And videos from NTM :

NTM – Qu’est-ce qu’on attend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMbey5x1xgQ

NTM – That’s my people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88tsEjceu78

NTM – Tout n’est pas si facile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPMig1cZm7I

NTM – Authentik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx8j8GHNpP0


Ah I forgot that among the first groups to play hip-hop in France, there was also Assassin… but I actually never listened to them…
Here is their first video (that voice one can hear between verses is annoying):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Ikk9JUJEc


Oh and I also have never really been into Saïan Supa Crew, but they are probably worth mentioning:

Saian Supa Crew – Raz-de-marée
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdzMmGgC_ps