Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Listened playing with J on the mat, booombapboombapbombebappe
That's not my taste in music - But pleasant to listen to
I am between a 3.5 and 4 on this, so I'll give it a 4 on this scale. The music feels ahead of its time, or at least, I can see the influence on groups and amazing music that followed, such as Massive Attack. The vocals are okay, but I feel the album is too long, and some of the vocals don't fit the mood as well as I wanted them too. They felt too bouncy for music, and I just wanted the whole thing to feel more "moody" like Massive Attack. Overall, though, it is not a bad listen, and I do think it is impressive for the time and still feels relevant all these years later.
Musically really good, no idea what he was going on about. Really enjoyed
This was pretty sick. Really liked some of the beats.
The only French rap I have or need to listen to. This is great, I'm sure it doesn't get much better than this.
Oh, delicious! The most elegant piece of hip-hop I’ve ever heard. References to Marvin Gaye surprised me. Like it!
Sick flow transcends language.
Good stuff
Pretty pleasant background music. I listened to it while playing Old World. Reasonably original.
Very cool old school french hip hop
This album had a smooth flow with a jazzy feel to the production, making it an enjoyable listen. Even though I don’t speak French and couldn’t follow the lyrics, his delivery fit the music so well that it didn’t take away from the experience. The laid back beats and instrumentation gave the album a great atmosphere.
Cool. Nice flow and jazz beats. Ragga Jam is amazing.
I expected nothing from French rap, and was very pleasantly surprised. I actually liked this. It has the jazz hip hop vibe of Us3 and artists like that, although unlike having samples of Blue Note recordings, the backing tracks sounded almost canned in some parts. I think the fact that I couldn’t understand anything he said probably helped. I quickly grow tired of rappers who only spew slurs and epithets and rap about drugs and being horrible to women, so if he said any of that I was blissfully unaware. Whatever he does say flows incredibly well. If I had any desire to learn French, I would probably listen to this guy a lot. Does it deserve 4 stars though? Probably not, probably a high 3, but I’m going 4 just because it was so much better than I expected.
Really digging this out of the gate with the title track. Effortlessly cool flow over top of some jazz heavy instrumentals that they let breath through the outro. Very smooth. Track 3 has a more progressive funk backing instrumental that sounds uniquely 90s. Still solid stuff that reminds me of ATCQ. L'histoire d l'art is a standout. Pressing vocals over a funky little loop that exchanges with some stanky bass and horns. Have definitely heard the sample on Armand est mort, but cannot place it. Quartier nord is an abrupt change to an aggressive delivery. Really dig the song and the muted instrumental with scratching. Pretty sure that Ragga Jam is referenced directly by Sublime. But then maybe it is a common thing...idk. All I know is I can only imagine how one moves their mouth and tongue fast enough to make some of these sounds -- wild. The vibes are strong with this album. While I can't understand a word, I found myself swaying to damn near every song. It played a little long in the end (especially once it turned over towards more reggae / dub influences). But all in all a very solid listen. 4 / 5.
bright, french helps, lighter than I remember
What originally started for me as repeat playing of Obsolète turned into repeat playing of Prose combat, fast becoming one of my favourite hip hop albums, let alone French hip hop. I somewhat ‘completed’ this by purchasing the double LP in a record shop in Montmartre, for the ultimate hipster credit. But this isn’t Prose combat, it’s its predecessor. And it serves just as you’d hope it to, its more laissez-faire older brother, with Solaar meandering through a cool jazz-influenced hip hop soundscape with a ‘je m’en fiche’, ‘à prendre ou à laisser’ attitude. I’m unsure if this really is overshadowed by its follow-up three years later, but it is for me. So whilst Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is no doubt a stellar rap album, but it’s not something I can come back to when Prose combat is right there.
Ahh.. MC Solaar! I used to listen to this guy a decent amount in the early 2000s. This jazz rap style is really the best hip hop as far as I'm concerned. I have no idea what he's saying but it sounds so damn good. Also didn't know he got his US breakthrough on a Guru Jazzmatazz track. Fitting.
This was nifty 4/5
This album contains my favourite kind of rap. The kind with good flows and beats. Better yet, no skits at all. I wish I understood French; it would've made the album even better. The only dud on "Tempo" is "Ragga Jam," which shouldn't have been on the album. 4 stars for "Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo".
Nice and groovy, I hope the lyrics are cool because it's all in French. But the flow was cool 8/10
Smooth beats and a nice workout for my extremely rudimentary French. Going to have to check out more of his work.
Early French rap - interesting: 3/4 leaning to 4.
Très cool. Il y a des belles ondes.
Wow. Is French the best language to rap in? Of course, I don't know what MC Solaar was on about, but the flow, groove, vibe — and his enunciation — were all top notch.
I hit play on this without reading a thing about MC Solar or the album. Man oh man....what a joy this was. Loved every bit.
This was REALLY CLOSE to being a 5
I didn't understand a single word but it had some pretty decent beats
A pretty cool french rap with very interesting beats and melodies. Quite jazzy at times, full of positive 90s vibes, with a very accesible vocals (although I didn't understand a thing). Looks like I'm going to give a good note for a french rap, who would have thought.
Loved it. Bit like Massive Attack
This was really good, listened like 3 times on the bounce.
loved it - felt like i was in a french nightclub martini bar, doesn't quite touch 5 star for me but not far off
Always liked Solar even though I only understand every other fourth word! Not heard this one before though tres bon.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but this exceeded it.
Excellent flow. I wish I could understand the lyrics better, but I really enjoyed this regardless.
I should've paid more attention in French class, but honestly, the language barrier didn't sour this album much for me at all. I vibed with it every step of the way, and even without an understanding of what's being said, you know the flow of Mr. Solaar is on point.
Qui tend l'oreille, récolte le message.
Surprisingly entertaining French 90s rap. Would listen again.
Best lijp
Good good very good shite
Wow, the hits just keep coming. This was stupendous. I must have heard MC Solaar, since I listen to to French hip hop from time to time, but never really latched onto him.
Mmmm, ze French heep-hurp is extra sexy no?
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would
I ended up enjoying the heck out of this record. Not only is MC Solaar’s flow smooth, but the beats are excessively appealing. They keep you moving and bobbing without pounding you into submission and provides an eminently listenable and pleasant experience. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-qui-seme-le-vent-recolte?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
This French language hip-hop hit all the right spots for me. It had some great beats, the voice was very unabrasive, and the fact that my French isn't that good meant that I didn't know if it was the usual hip-hop mix of sexism and violence. It all sounded very cool. I don't know if I'll return to it much, but I was glad to get it.
Can’t speak a word of French but really enjoyed the vibes, some great samples used. Listened to it twice through, and would happily put on my rotation. Maybe after a google translate of the lyrics 😅
great album. It reminds me of Stereolab in some ways. The samples are awesome and the beats are too
I liked the sound of this even though I don't speak french. Enjoyed the funky beats and relaxed smooth flow. Favorite songs were: 4. Victime de la mode 11. La musique adoucit les mœurs 12. Bouge de Là (part. 1) 7/10
I love MC Solaar. My French is a lot worse than it used to be so I can't understand it as well anymore but I still appreciate the poetic quality of his rap.
This was a cool album! I've never heard of MC Solaar, but google tells me he is the most famous french hip-hop artist. I enjoyed the vibes, but don't speak french so didn't pick up on any of the lyrics. The beats were dope and I like his flow across the record. It ran a little long. I can't rate it super highly because I can't understand a word he's saying, and I'm not going to go translate all the lyrics. However, I did think the sound was cool and it's clearly pretty dope stuff. 7/10
First thought with today's album: A Tribe Called Qu'est que ce. Lots of comparisons to American hip hop, I feel the beats are closer to Erik B and Rakim. For the quantity of tracks, it stays fresh, and I only know my high school class level of French, but the delivery is good. This is one of those cool discoveries from this project.
Interesting to listen to something so lyrically based, that's in a language I do not understand at all. That being said, this is hip-hop that is right up my alley. Late '80s to early '90s is my sweet-spot for rap. Hip hop in this era was focused on the MC delivery, with the production being more sample, bass, and drum heavy. I find modern production too distracting; overshadowing the MC with too many changes and too much instrumentation. Solaar has a great voice and shows off multiple types of flow throughout. It sounds a little dated now, but for the era it was released, I think this was probably pretty groundbreaking.
If I could break dance this would be my soundtrack
Very cool. 😎
Cool
Favorite Track: Matière grasse contre matière grise
some pretty good boom bap! He could be rapping about cheese and pencils for all i know of French but it sounds real good. Hadnt put it on in 30 uears but it held up rather nicely
Fun
first listen sick production, wish i knew french
4.5 stars. Man I don't know if it's just the novelty of being in French, but I enjoyed the hell out of this. Excellent flow, vibing beats. No letdown tracks. Standouts were high-energy "Ragga Jam" and "Quartier nord" with it's fast rhymes as well as head-bobbing "Qui seme le vent recolte le tempo"
honestly really cool. this is the type of stuff that i love finding from this project because i never would have heard it otherwise
Sköna beats. Gillar skivan för det mesta. Spelar ingen roll att man inte fattar något. Texten blir ännu ett instrument. Hade nog behövt lyssna lite mer. Vilket inte alls är omöjligt att jag gör!
totally unexpected but fun to listen to. that flow! my rusty 11th grade french alerted me to a handful of funny wordplay moments - i assume there are many more. i liked it!
ok dang mc solaar has a great flow, even if i didn't understand a lick of it. i liked this a lot more than i expected. the music, samples, beats, and lyrical rhythms are all on point and work great here. favorites: tracks 2, 4, 10, 12, and 14. ragga jam was just an insane showcase of how fast he can spit rhymes!
Joo daar ben ik weer, ik had weer wat muziekinspiratie nodig Erg nice deze, kende deze gast alleen als die Franse guy op guru's jazzmatazz En erg fijne Marvin Gaye sample op 'Armand est mort'
Goeie
I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Lyrics, idk I can barely speak french. The flow and rhythm were on point though. Ragga Jam is a clear high point for me.
I thought I'd hate this but damn so good and groovy. Still too repetitive in some songs to warrant a perfect score
1991 eh? I can really hear the Gang Starr influence (or is it the other way around?) and I think it’s interesting that Guru worked with him later on in the decade. I think Das-EFX, Digable Planets, pre-Fergy Black Eyed Peas, maybe even Mos Def were all listening. will.i.am rates him higher than Tupac. I sure wasn’t expecting to nod my head so much to an album I don’t understand.
Like a French Tribe Called Quest. Liked it.
Un buen álbum, no entendí todas las letras pero me gustaron los ritmos y un poco la temática crítica 👍
Enjoyed the listen! Only caught about 10% of the meaning of the lyrics with my limited French, but the beats and samples were pretty great! 4/5!
I thought listening to a rap album in French would be rough (since I don't know French), but it was actually pretty chill. The sound is funky, there is a good variety across the tracks, and the vibes are energetic.
A good album, I liked Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo, Victime de la Mode.
Fun and upbeat.
good! enjoyed it
The first few songs felt like cookie cutter hip hop but the album gets much better as it moves forward and feels more relaxed. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.
The vibe is immaculate.
This reviewer is not fluent in French at all. However, this is French hip-hop/rap and if there was a language whose pronunciation structure was conducive to complicated sounding bars, this is it. It is almost so that in order to be a good rapper, one should do it in French. The music behind the lyrics is more or less consistent with the era in which this album was released so there is not much if anything to really criticize. The overall vibe musically is that this is perhaps some of the best that era had to offer. This deviation from American rap is agreeably worthy of hearing before one's mortal conclusion.
Rating: 8/10 Great flows, rhymes, and beats. I really wish I understood French.
Loved even if I didn't get a word of it
Un peu bop, c'était énergique et amusant
French hip hop, jazz rap, conscious hip hop, boom bap. I was kinda surprised at how much I liked this one. Like yeah I didn't understand hardly anything that was said, but I could feel it a little. Beats were great, flow was cool to hear but it could just be because it was in French. Really really solid album, even if it was just a bit too long. 4/5
French hip hop, I don’t fully understand but it’s sick (3.5/5)
Who needs to understand lyrics to enjoy an album? Not me. Tres bon.
Great classic hip hop beats. Doesn't matter if you can't understand it.
4/5. Great samples and flows really drive my enjoyment of this album since what he is talking about, I have no clue. It takes some skill to make an album in a different language enjoyable. It is more equivalent to an instrument jam album flowing and vibing. Definitely a great album and I'm sure if I understood French, it could be a 5. Just a detriment on my part but that is perspective at this point. Best Song: Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo, Victime de la mode, Ragga Jam
It's always difficult giving an assessment to foreign albums. I find that the inability to understand the lyrics causes a bit of a disconnect for me. The music sounds great. It's funky, vibrant, engaging. I like his voice and the flow of his delivery, but the lack of being able to understand what is being said causes some impact to be lost. Still good, nonetheless.
mf rhymed 'd'accord' with 'gare du nord'
Great beats but no english
Went into this with dread expecting another electronica album and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was French hip hop. I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this album. He's got great flow and, unlike some rappers (looking at you, Ice Cube), he's able to vary his delivery across songs to keep it sounding fresh. The music is also really good — most of the songs feature actual instruments and compositions (or samples of real songs). They've got a very jazzy/funky feel, like something Jurassic Park or The Roots might do. The sax solos are great and there are some really nice bass lines. I have no idea what any of the lyrics mean, but they sound cool. I didn’t love it as much starting around track 11, though (La musique adoucit les moeurs) — it's still a decent song, but the English parts drag it down a bit. The next two songs (Bouge de la parts 1 and 2) aren't great — they sound kind of cheesy and, again, the inclusion of English kind of ruins it. Ragga Jam redeems things a bit — the speed at which everyone on that track raps rivals Twista and is damn impressive. The last two songs are okay. La Devise is fine, and Funky Dreamer is more of an interlude than a song. I think if the album had ended after track 11 (maybe including Ragga Jam), it would've been a 4.5. But it started to overstay its welcome, especially since the last quarter wasn't nearly as strong. 4/5
This is great! A little long at times.
Very good. This album was a lot of fun and a pleasant surprise.
Ik ben totaal niet bekend met MC Solaar, dus laten we eens gaan beluisteren waarom deze Franse hiphop de selectie heeft gehaald. En la tribu de Dana van Manau niet, om maar eens een klassieker er tegen aan te gooien. Wat me gelijk opvalt is dat de muzikale omlijsting lekker funky is, daar hou ik wel van. In de titeltrack laat hij gelijk zien wat hij goed kan: op verschillende tempo's rappen. De ene keer heel snel, dan vertraagt hij weer. Mijn Frans is niet zo goed (tijd om die DuoLingo weer eens op te starten), maar hij speelt met de woorden, dat kan ik wel horen. En zo gaat het eigenlijk de hele tijd wel door. Met name als hij die supersnelle raps gaat doen, dat vind ik toch altijd wel knap hoe ze dat er schijnbaar moeiteloos uit gooien. Geen idee hoeveel takes ze daar in de studio voor nodig hebben. Dit soort hiphop vind ik hele dikke prima, ik kan hier prima naar luisteren.
This is chill! And the video for Caroline is beautiful. I only knew this guy from my 10th grade french textbook, so I assumed he was corny as hell. He might be. I barely learned any french besides "C'est super cool"
3.6/5 listened 2x catchup on 7/2 and 7/3.
Incredibile, ahead of the times. The flow and the beats are gorgeous. 8/10
I hope this album is as sexy as it looks. Okay French rap! I fear I would appreciate it more if I understood what he was saying but also it’s cool. The beats are fun and I like the musical influences that bleed into it.
Since hip hop is so lyrical dominant it’s difficult for an English speaker to get the full experience of a French rap album. Nevertheless Solaar has great flow, phrasing and the production on the instrumentals is pretty fantastic especially for 1991 hip hop.
4.3 - Loved this and was not expecting it at all. The only thing I would say is it needs cutting down
Armand est mort - nice Marvin Gaye sample. Feels like a 3 and a half star album to me. I wonder how it might differ if I could understand more. Fave Tracks: Matiere est grasse contre matiere grise, Funky Dreamer 3.5/5
This came out in 1991? This is amazing for that time. I love hearing people rap in other languages, this is the first French rap I have heard, and this has a funky jazzy sound and even though I don’t speak French, the guy has got great flow. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Caroline Rating: 4
Take the best of 90's rap and make it French and this is what you get🔥
Good rap, no idea what he’s on about, still enjoyed the beats and the flows despite the language
not every song was sth for me but I love french music and some of these really showed talent.
Enjoyed this vibe, will defo listen to more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I couldn’t understand a word of it but this was great!
This jams pretty hard. As someone who doesn't really care about lyrics, this works for me. Will I listen to again: 50%
this is great funky jazzy rap with a great flow, just wish i could understand French.
for french hip hop record this was good
Very cool
I really liked this! Funky. Not perfect bc I don’t speak French nor do I respect them as a people.
Even if you don’t understand a word of French (and I remember precious little of what I learned in high school), MC Solaar’s flow and the beats it’s built upon are smooth as butter and never dull. It’s not at all surprising he’s a hip-hop legend in France.
Super groovy and has some fun instrumental solos, the guitar and sax just rip. Super fun to listen to, super creative. The only think keeping it from s teir is that it’s French and I have no idea what they’re saying. A teir
It was pretty good. Chill 90s french beats
Very cool vibe throughout
Tres bein, un albume unique, un homme trevallies tres forrett, pasque un chien mange la baguette. Cest tres dfficil a escribe la discoteque en francais. Jaime la musuqie
My o-level French can't keep up, but I enjoyed listening to this
I love that I can understand bits of most lines of this, which means I have a better grasp of French than done inner city US slang. Thank you, MC Solaar; well enunciated! The tunes have great samples and it's not all just bitches, violence, drugs and cars. Why they picked this album and not La Nouveau Western, with the cowboy vibes and Serge Gainsbourg sample (from the film La Haine) is beyond me.
LP
Don't know what he's saying and don't need to. This is fire. Love the jazzy beats.
De va kova
I have absolutely no idea what was going on, but what an album!
Damn, really wish I could understand what this guy is saying. His flow is great and the beats are good early 90s jazz rap. I'm def gonna listen to his next album.
This is really fun. Everything sounds great
really cool. the french mc hammer lmao
6 / 10 Rap en francés, esto ya le da un toque exótico. Además los ritmos son de jazz, ácid, soul, ... Muy escuchable!!
Holy shit, I did NOT expect to be as drawn to this as I am so far. Album is a straight up banger. Very few low moments.
I'm still quite fond of this album, as much a breath of fresh air now as it was then.
Soooo solid. Legit 5 star French hip hop… although 4.3 US stars when you apply the exchange rate
Listened to this mostly in airports. Perfecto.
The beats and production are sooo cool I barely care that I dont understand a word of what he's saying
This album was fun to listen to. MC Solaar's flow is super smooth and his delivery is clear. He is clearly a very talented rapper (in the running for France's best) as especially evidenced on Bouge de là Pt. 2. The music itself incorporates jazz, African music (owing to his Senegalese and Chadian heritage), and reggae into the beats to produce something which complements hip hop incredibly well. Overall, despite the language barrier, I really enjoyed this album. Compared to other rappers working in 1991, this feels forward thinking and fresh.
Loved this
Can't understand it but pretty enjoyable to listen to
What in the world!? This was really, really good! I didn't know that loving a French rap album would be in the cards this week, but we love a pleasant surprise. Hell yeah, MC Solaar.
This is a good little record, with nice, jazzy hip-hop beats, and MC Solaar has a smooth flow to his rhymes. Just need to learn French now to understand what he’s rapping about.
Oooooooh laaalaaaa!! Love this, have never heard of it! Parts of this don’t sound as far back as 1991, others sound like Eric B and Rakim. His flows are so smooth although I don’t know what he’s saying.
Cool flow and beats!
This dude is amazing! The beats, the rhythm! Really enjoyed listening to it. I wish it were in English I could understand it :(
Pretty good, easy to listen to and enjoyable without understand the lyrics
Some really grooving jazz rap instrumentals on this one that sound unique for the time. While I don't speak French, I really appreciate MC Solaar's tone and flow across the album which, like the instrumentals, come across as cutting edge.
No idea what he was singing about but I liked it
I don’t know what the heck he’s saying but man does it sound cool
All brand new, really enjoyed it
This is probably the best album I do not understand, the flow is sick, the production is amazing, if only I understood the lyrics I would rate it higher.
Amazing album. It's refreshing to listen to rap in other languages that are not English. MC Solaar always delivers with his rhymes and rhythms.
This is a favorite of mine: I don't speak French, but MC Solaar's rap talents are undeniable and his beats and tunes are terrific. "Victime de la Mode" is an earworm, but the whole album has its charms. If you like this album, I also highly recommend Prose Combat.
Smooth. Not as annoying as a lot of US hip hop. Reminds of 90s skateboarding videos. Favorite song: Caroline.
It is good, but not mine.
Drullugott stöff!
Cool samples plus rapping in French equals awesome. He’s like the French version of Young MC.
Chauvin, moi ?
Stupendous album. 4 stars.
Sounds like Spinal Tap
The beats and samples on this record are still super tight. Great use of jazz samples. Solaar opened up the world to non-English rap.
Erg verrassend Frans album, veel verschillende genres door elkaar die het erg fris over laten komen
i usually knock a star for being french (i am prejudice towards french) but this was actually pretty sweet. a tad long but there wasn’t really any bad tracks. good mix of funk and jazz flavoured beats to support the frenchy flows.
Great sounds, fun beats! I don’t understand a single word but I don’t need to know to appreciate the flow and the mixes!
Solid
Never have I heard an album with such a consistently banger groove. I understand no French, sadly, but This singing is so rhythmic and /quick/ that I'm very impressed. Is this my fav type of music? Nah. But it is a wondrously strong piece of art.
Chill and funky, it sounds ahead of its time for 1991 preceding the American g-funk movement, but still retains the beat and sample style of the era. Prominent use of horns maintain a recognizable consistency without being excessive. It's always hard for me to imagine rapping in other languages, but his words smoothly flow like butter. So fast, yet not at all abrasive. Several forgettable tracks, could be cut by a few, especially due to its length, but most are decent, and several are outstanding. Favorites: Victime de la Mode, Bouge de La, Regga Jam
Really liked the first half, then wasn’t so bothered by the rest
Very cool album even though I do not speak the language. Very jazzy hip hop with a MC that flows very well on the beat.
Beautiful vocal rhythms, laid over funky soul samples
"Funky beat-eough" Had a great time with this album. Couldn't understand what the hell he was saying but the vibes were funky, jazzy and laid back. Even the more upbeat tracks were so damn chill. I would absolutely pick this album up if I found it at my local record shop. Favorite tracks: Matière Grasse Contre Matière Grise, L'histoire de l'art
Listened to this and Prose Combat a lot when I first lived alone near Toulouse early in 1994. Brilliantly sampling 70s funk with beautifully sounding voice and wordplay - quite exquisite to my English ears. Lots of fun and amusing songs, not aggressive, with occasional socio-political commentary if you can understand it. Excellent and recommended.
Afraid to say I don't speak French so I feel I missed a lot with the lyrics, that being said, every song on there was at least getting at a minimum a head bob out of me while I worked so it's at least got that from me. Good album
Very interesting French rap. He has an incredible flow, one that hits regardless if you understand it or not. Lots of exquisite sound mixing as well. This some rap that was ahead of its time, from an unlikely place. Great stuff!
The Golden Age of hip hop in France sounded pretty chill. I like the beats, pretty subtle and cool without getting cheesy. Only track that didn't work for me was 'Ragga Jam', that guest spot hurt.
Wow what great fun. I really enjoyed this whole album, with the standout track being Boude de La - Part 1.
I'm more familiar with a couple of his later albums, and compared to this one they're waaaaay smoother. In this one, he's replicating old school hip-hop, with all its attendant clunkiness. Still smooth, of course, but a pick from later in his discography woulda been smoother! Fave track - "Quartier Nord" for hip-hop, "Caroline" for trip-hop, and a hat tip to the guest MC on "Ragga Jam" cuz he was fitting in a LOT of syllables.
There is the faintest pang of recognition in my head for MC Solaar. One of the drama teachers when I was back in school was always listening to French hip hop, and I think it might have been a lot of this guy. I might be wrong though. It was a long time ago, to be fair. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Qui Sème Le Vent Récolte Le Tempo, Caroline I’ll foreword this review by saying my knowledge of French is minimal. So minimal, that I understood none of these lyrics during a listen. Despite that, I loved the music of this. It was like a smooth jazz with one of the nicest rap flows I’ve heard in a while. I might not have understood the content of his words, but I could certainly appreciate his tones and rhythms. I expected this to be ok, but it was a lot better than that.
Easily the best French hip-hop record on this list. And largely a pleasure to listen to, especially the jazzier cuts.
Probably more of a 3.5, but I really enjoyed this
Ah, beaucoup de fun! Always thought rap and hiphop sound better in French.
French rap hits different. I hope one day I'll be able to understand the lirycs. Nonetheless, love the flow & bits
Not bad! The language is a deterrent for future listens but all in all it’s great
Funky French hip hop. I really enjoyed this one.
Pretty cool! French rap always sounds cool to me and the beats were cool.
I liked this but it was hard for me to connect to because I didn’t know what he says saying. Really cool though!
I thought this album was really cool. It's fairly innovative, given the time period when it was made. It's a little harder to judge rhymes in a foreign language, but given that most rap styles in 1991 were garbage anyway, I'm going to just give him the credit 4/5
Chill vibes with preview undertones of triphop.
Even though I don’t know French, it was quite impressive. A joy to listen to
This was surprisingly good. The album to the French revilution
Fun to listen to. Great cover art, too. Happy to have listened prior to my demise.
15th June 2023 Listened mainly on the way to picking a Jen up from Stroud station. Chilled evening having had the carpet in the hall fitted. Really enjoyed this! Funky, French rap.
Chill rapping in French, great flow.
My kind of jam. Doom like beats
9/10 for me. really enjoyed the production and energy. hip hop gem
I love the funk and groove, with French language.
French hip hop is always cool and MC Solaar is one of the best. But even one of the best can afford to take a couple of tracks out of their albums sometimes.
I normally don't care for hip-hop or rap, but this album from MC Solaar was a joy to listen to. Maybe it was because it was sung in French and I couldn't understand what was being said (everything sounds better in french), but it also had cool beats and a nice jazzy feel to it. To me, the voice was another instrument and it smoothly contributed to the overall sound that was both easy to listen to and relaxing. It was definitely better than I expected!
Hahah! Just kuuntelin tän vinyyliltä. Oikein hyvä! Raikasta kuunnella muutakin kun englantia. 4/5
Ranska-hiphopin klassikko. muistan ku joskus mentiin kallelle jatkoille ja ruvettiin kuuntelee tätä. 4/5
Finalmente um disco de rap que me surpreendeu positivamente. Fiquei muito impressionado com a produção e o fluxo do álbum, e acho que é um grande testemunho do poder da música para transcender as barreiras culturais ao combinar o ritmo e melodia para encantar.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Victime de la mode, Armand est mort, Caroline
Niceeee fransk rap, acid-jazz
4/5 "Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo" is an iconic album by the French rapper MC Solaar, which was released in 1991. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop albums in France and has helped establish the genre in the country. The album features MC Solaar's signature blend of smooth, jazzy beats with intricate lyrics that explore social and political issues. Tracks like "Caroline" and "Bouge de là" have become classics in French rap and have been covered and sampled by many artists. MC Solaar's unique flow and wordplay are showcased throughout the album, with tracks like "Victime de la mode" and "Tempo mort" demonstrating his skillful use of language and metaphors. What sets "Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo" apart from other rap albums is its musicality. The production is top-notch, with live instruments and intricate samples creating a rich tapestry of sound that complements MC Solaar's lyrics perfectly. Overall, "Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo" is a timeless album that has stood the test of time. It is a must-listen for anyone interested in French rap and hip-hop music in general. MC Solaar's talent as a rapper and lyricist, combined with the album's musicality and social commentary, make it a true masterpiece.
Very unique- definitely the sound of 90’s Hip-hop and maybe one of the best of that era that I have heard
Elite
8/10 sick jazz rap album
really great listen. the beats were great and even though I didn't understand anything, it was still great! the flow was on point as well.
Very interesting french rap. Deserves a revisit for sure.
Incredible flow in the rapping, and some unusual, complex beats make this a really good listen despite not understanding a lick of French.
Had not heard this one before, but glad I have now. All smooth grooves until you get to "Ragga Jam" where it suddenly slams on the accelerator, slaps you in the face, and forces you to chug an energy drink.
I do believe I enjoy French rap, the flow of the words just sound so good together. Clearly a talented rapper as well, some of those phrases were smooth as hell. Lyrically no idea what's going on though.
Solid and stylish, plus sophisticated-seeming – almost suave – for its time.
really love this French MC
J’adore
Pretty solid
introduced me to acid-jazz. Loved it.
After the first two songs I was ready to give this five stars. Kinda tapered off after that but still pretty good music, just no so much a fan of the rapping.
Not a fan of rap but this guy's flow is insane. The lyrics are so much better than anything I've heard from most English rappers. This was pretty decent. Nice vibes.
It's a weird on, since I can't understand it. However, I'm enjoying it for its funky beats. Feels like scat :D
Really enjoyed that. French is a beautiful language to rap in.
I don't understand a word of it but I found to be really good - nice flow and pretty funky at times. Good, respectable listen, especially since alot of these foreign language albums on this 1001 list are bad listens. 8/10.
Love this French reccomendation
I think this might be the first french rap album I've ever heard? I need to explore more now most definitely. Love the jazzy beats and his flow is impeccable even if I can't understand the lyrics.
4.25
7/10 rap in a language you don’t understand is always tough to evaluate, but this was pretty enjoyable
My french isn't good enough to be able to speak to the lyrical content but the beats and flow, though dated, were really good. There's a chill energy here that is compelling. I enjoyed that a lot more than expected.
Niceee i love old school french rap and he’s the embodiment of introducing the old school aspects of hiphop that started out with Melle Mel and created an (at the time) innovative composition of pure beauty. However i like his album from the early 2000’s more
My French is very limited. So much that I took one glimpse at the title and thought to myself "Wow, cool to have a Spanish MC on the list"... That being said, the beginning of this album quickly turned into my current main motivation for learning French! 'Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo' is a great way to kick of the album, and the horn samples on 'Matière grasse contre matière grise' are top tier. MC Solaar shows an incredible range going from the everchanging flow and melodic rapping with plenty of intonation on 'L'histoire de l'art' to the harder, fast-paced 'Quartier nord'. I was ready to give a 5/5 until the complete meltdown on 'Bouge de là (part. 1)' and onwards. I have no idea, why this dull and repetitive track apparently became his breakthrough. Then the whole thing inexplicably ends on the scatty snippet 'Funky Dreamer', and what started as a great album ends on a note as tragic as the ending of La Bohème (which is Italian, but who cares?).
My French is so good that I immediately, upon seeing the MC in the name, knew that this was hip hop. The lyrics? Not so much. This is an extremely strong record. Solaar’s flow is great, the jazzy beats are catchy and there’s something about the French language and hip hop that’s a match made in heaven. Hip hop made for looking cool, smoking and drinking red wine. I’m doing neither but I like it no less.
Really fun, groovy album.
Very smooth and VERY French, laid on top of some smooth, buttery beats. Je l'aime bien!
I unexpectedly loved that! The rhythms and the rapping was excellent!
Hip-hop francés. Me ha gustado bastante.
I like it
Have never heard of this but was pleasantly surprised. 1991 continues to stand out. I can’t understand the lyrics but love the vibe. Hearing a lot of trip hop elements splashed in, which is great. Hope to come back.
Oooh this is a very nice discovery... Seems very niche with the French rap, jazzy bluesy instrumentation and v early 90s too. Really enjoying listening and want to listen to more from MC Solaar other than this debut album. I really like the rap style.
I ruddy loved it, had a great vibe
Vond dit echt vet, de radio na het album op spotify is ook echt mega chill en luister het nu bijna een maand later nog steeds jaja
The last time I listened to MC Solaar was when I was in French class in high school and we were discussing French music. Very happy I got to listen to this! I love the production and am pleasantly surprised that I could understand some of the lyrics after all these years haha.
arrêter! Temps de marteau. pretty decent that.
Surprising
Pretty good.
Dig it.
The first half of Solaar's debut puts the phonemes of French to use with a remarkable smoothness, but nothing sets those records apart from contemporary hip-hop material. There's a hint that a progression is stirring, but the hope for that can end up negative as easily as positive. Fortunately, remarkable smoothness gives way to sampling of a weirder variety, and Solaar's delivery matches the spikiness where it appears. This album ends up notable for its approachability, that velvet voice providing an easy landing first and more besides.
Solaar reminded me of the French I lost due to not practicing, so for that I give one star ⭐️ HL: “Caroline”, “Armand est mort”, “Bouge de là, Pt. 1” November 11, 2022
Good vibes, nice mood setter
O Dani adicionou estas notas 👍🏻
tiedättekö syyn miksi jarre on top 10 biiseistä ikinää... ranskalainen tuottaja... PYSYY VISUSTI HILJAA... EI SANO MITÄÄN... tässä sanoja per minuutti on järisyttävä.. RANSKAN KIELELLä... välitön miinus... mutta,,, hip hop höpöttely hessuttelun merkitys, tarkoitus, sielu on tässä ymmärretty, ainakin ekalla puoliskolla, toisella puolella vähän reggaetyyliä ja suurimmalta osalta heikompi mutta muutama kultakimpale kuin jukonissa konsanaan hehheh ylipäätään erittäin hyvä tuotos victime de la mode paras biii
Fantastic beats and flow
Pas mal monsieur. Pas mal.
bouge-y wonderland
Blending jazz influenced hip-hop with Parisian charm, MC Solaar's Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is a throughly engaging effort that would fit in seamlessly with the equally jazz indebted sounds of Gang Starr and A Tribe Called Quest. A vibe that remains consistent throughout its fifty-two minutes, Qui sème le vent... is a under-heralded 90s classic outside of France. Do seek this out. Favorites: Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo, Matière grasse contre matière grise, Armand est mort, Quartier nord, Caroline, Bouge de là (Pts 1 & 2), Ragga Jam.
No imaginaba que un rapero francés me fuera a encantar, y cierto, no es música que me marque, pero sí la encontré agradable y si a veces saliera alguna de sus canciones en el shuffle no me molestaría. Quizá la onda de rapear en francés, pero más posiblemente que los ritmos son percusiones reales mezcladas con beats, y hace que casi se sienta como Jazz. 3.5 que sube a 4
Can't understand the lyrics fully so that means I can't really rate them but I can tell he has a great flow, the samples added an extra punch to the album and it was sequenced brilliantly, not to mention the production was well ahead of its time for '91 A great record.
A French rap album that I can barely understand as someone who studied French for ten years should not be something I like. This album is amazing though. The production and beats are on point. The vocal performances are also very good despite not understanding them. Solid album overall. Standout songs are Caroline and Victime de la mode.
A cool dude. Good old school rap.
Now this is one I REALLY didn't expect to enjoy. Some random French rap? That would usually get a resounding no thanks from me. But I liked the guy's voice and the instrumental is really good with some very pleasant jazz and scattered funk elements. I did think Ragga Jam was horrible to listen to, but otherwise great background listening which more than I can say about 98% of all rap.
Didn't understand it, loved it
Some French beats, enjoyed it
Wow, this was unexpected. A French hip hop album from the early '90s? The genre is still somewhat new, and the French got it on it here, or at least MC Solaar did. Quite a few tracks on here that I dug, this guy can really rap (fast). Admittedly don't understand a lick of it but it sounds great. Hearing a genre as lyrical as hip hop in another language is quite the trip. But also the production felt very in-line with American stuff from the same time like Run DMC or something. I liked it a lot, great album! Favorite tracks: Matiere grasse, Victeme, Quartier nord, Bouge Pt. 2, Ragga Jam, Funky Dreamer. Album art: Really nothing special, doesn't suggest hip hop, but it has a cool pirate radio aesthetic, like something pulled from a movie about a revolution. 4/5
Pretty awesome 90s French hip hop
Good beats!
Ret nice beats! Forstod ingenting tho
Sweet beats. Wish I knew French just to get the lyrics of this album
First album/artist I never heard of. 1st impression, meh. 2nd listen better. 3rd listen 4 stars. If only I knew what he was rapping about?!? In my top 1000, idk
Solid French hip hop. I remember it being a breath of fresh air for me after a wave 2nd string gangster rap and New jack swing had left me cold on hip hop. Wish I knew French but that doesn't stop me enjoying this
Интересный артефакт 90-х годов. Навевает воспоминания о фильме Такси.
I was not hopeful about a foreign language album, and the only thing I remember from 3 years of high school French is “Allons-y! Let’s go!” I was quite pleasantly surprised by the jazzy French rap, which scratched some itch in my brain I didn’t even know I had. Bouge de la part 2 especially just got to my core. I was least impressed by the one track featuring English, funky dreamer, and I wasn’t really feeling the ragga jam, but that could have been because I didn’t feel it fit the spirit of the rest of the album.
Desperately struggling to dust off my high school French. (Merci Mme. Stillman) I’m rather enjoying this.
La dech au Bangladesh Prefs: Qui Sème Le Vent Récolte Le Tempo, Victime de la Mode, L'Histoire de l'Art, Armand est Mort, Quartier Nord, Caroline, La Musique Adoucit les Moeurs, Bouge de Là - Part. 1, Bouge de Là - Part. 2, La Devise Moins pref: Ragga Jam
MC Solaar shows what hip-hop can be, relaxing jazzy beats with incredible raps. Now the message of the album unfortunately passes me by a bit, but that is by no means an obstacle to any enjoyment you can get from the album. The first half of the album, with its Gang Starr influenced eclectic mix of hip hop, jazz, funk, reggae and the French troubadour style, ending with the great hip hop ballad Caroline is a classic in its style and would be a 5* album Unfortunately, there's also the second half of the album, a bit of half-hearted dub style that brings the album down and was a bit unnecessary. So it ends with 4*
I love the overlaying beats. Vocals are impressive, I only with I understood French. But, I know enough to know he is incredibly talented with the language
Only vaguely heard of this guy but I knew the French love their hip hop, never explored before. This is pretty great, love the title track. I love 80s hip hop and rap but I kind of got off the bus somewhere early to mid 90s and never truly got back on. Always got time for exceptions like Dave and such. I don't like the ragga one, I'm not target audience, but I won't hold it against the album as a whole which is well worth a listen. This has a lot to like about it, much genres covered, and some of that early 90s production that works great for some things (this) and terribly for lots of other stuff. Kind of doesn't matter that I haven't got a clue what he's rapping about, it's a great soundscape.
Musically stylish hip hop - makes for sipping your beaujolais while bopping to some of these songs. Now while I don’t know French, some cringey rhymes seem to popup but I might be wrong. However overall - quite fun to listen to - a shame if one doesn’t know the language (like myself) as I guess as you miss out on half the fun.
This was a great time. I think my favorite song is the title track, but there were a lot of good ones.
I really liked this; I enjoyed it's funkiness. The title track especially was good, but lots of good stuff in here.
Classique! L'album suivant, Prose Combat, me paraît cependant meilleur, plus abouti. Ici, MC Solaar met de l'avant ses capacités, ce qui tient parfois de l'esbrouffe.
bra häng alltså
Don’t speak French but it mixes great garnered like funk rap and soulful. I’m sure it would be a 5 if I knew what he was taking about
I really like the title track!! Who sows the wind harvests the beat! My time spent on Duo lingo has not been wasted.
One if those albums where I couldn't help but think that every song was about Olympia Dukakis. That has to be some sort of complement because daddy loves this album. So much so that I've taken to referring to myself as daddy.
Bel album de rap classique. 4.5
Cool French rap!
I think that by signing to Talking Loud records, MC ended up with much more of an organic, acid jazzy sound. I'm sure there are real instruments in there - the sax solo in the title track definitely and many of the bass lines move around enough to be real - but I couldn't find any musician credits in Wikipedia. There's a handful of well written tracks. I like his smooth delivery, especially in songs like Caroline and Victim de la Mode. He has a sense of humour, there's plenty of wordplay, which I can tell, even though I barely understand French and he sounds like he's having a good time.
brabo
Excellent and chill
This was very unexpected album. Good hip-hop style with some french style embedded into it. Very nice discovery
I have no idea what’s going on but I like it
Not bad at all
Great fucking album. Sick grooves and killer flows. I just wish I could understand him!
French hip-hop, wasn't sure what to expect going in but I dig it. Don't speak the language so most of the lyrics are going over my head but the guy seems to have a good flow and the beats are good. I liked this.
mmhon
Surprisingly really enjoyed this album
4 Baguette out of 5. Has a nice flow. Don't understand it so the lyrics are different. Hopefully not talking about raping and killing
First half is very good. flows are gorgeous even though I do not understand the lyrics. Good beats.
Wish i could understand more of the lyrics, but love the vibe
Caught me by surprise in a good way. Really chill French rap with lyrics that are clever even through Google Translate. Best track: Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
Un hip-hop e rappata molto allegri. Credo tratti comunque temi di importanza sociale. 'Caroline' la consiglierò a tutti. Il francese è più musicale dell'inglese? 4 stelle, ma quasi 5
Sounds was really good, although my French is still at high-school level competence so I only caught the odd word or phrase
I did not understand this, but I loved every second of it. Who knew I would be into French Hip Hop
Wow this dude flows so well!
no clue what they’re saying
Really enjoyed this whole album.
Hip-hop francés. Me ha gustado bastante.