Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Gooddebut album by French rapper MC Solaar. Also great lyrics (which most of you will miss out on, please use google translate).
Really enjoyed that!
Spiced up Jazz - tres bien
Album #134, MC Solaar, Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo ⭐⭐⭐ I don’t speak French, so let’s get that out of the way from the start. While you don’t necessarily need to understand the language of the music you’re listening to, I think in hip-hop it matters a bit more, because lyrics are such a key part of the experience. It’s hard to fully get the message across when you don’t understand what’s being said. So for this whole album, I had no idea what MC Solaar was actually rapping about. I wouldn’t take marks off for that, but it did mean I didn’t fully grasp everything that was going on. What I will say is this: his flow is incredible. This guy is an amazing rapper. He just sounds fantastic. Great voice, great variety in his delivery, really impressive overall. For 1991, this is early ‘90s hip-hop, and it sounds great. It’s very sleek. It reminds me a bit of The Pharcyde and Gang Starr, but it’s smoother and more laid back. Very cool, not too heavy, just very polished. The drums have a lovely acoustic, sample-based feel to them, and there are some great samples throughout, including Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler). The beats are strong across the board. But as I said, I didn’t understand the language, so I wasn’t as engaged with it as I might be with other hip-hop albums. And this album also suffers from what 99% of hip-hop albums suffer from: it’s too long. Even at 52 minutes, it becomes a bit of a slog. The songs are extended, and when you can’t connect with the lyrics, it becomes harder to stay locked in. From a technical standpoint though, it’s a really solid record. I do appreciate it a lot. I was happy to discover it today. I’ve been reading about MC Solaar, and he’s clearly a big deal in France, which I think is great. This is exactly the kind of discovery I want from the generator.
That was weirdly nostalgic and fun. My holidays as a kid were driving around France and occasionally we'd put local radio on so it takes me there. Obviously its dated and the second half drags but why not?
It’s French!
The man has flow. I just don’t understand French.
Surprisingly decent?? 3.4.
Versteh keine Wort, angenehm zu hören
I've certainly heard Hip-Hop albums that I liked less than this. Honestly think I prefer rap in French vs English. I don't know what they are saying, but the language gives it a nice flow. Favorite Track - La musique adoucit les hours Least Favorite Track - Victime de la mode ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I could speak French at a fluent level. The beats were catchy, the flow was solid. I think I just lack the understanding to truly enjoy any word play that might have been happening. It's definitely a 90s rap album.
Literally sounds like a 90s rap album, but in French. But the French influence in the instrumentation is definitely heard. It’s just kinda funny that 90s rap is a style that transcends cultures.
I wish I spoke /understood French. The sound was good though
Seems like decent hip hop? Don't know what he is saying but his flow I think is good and the music is decent. Nothing earth-shattering but not garbage either.
I liked this one! Probably won’t listen again but good groove.
I think I prefer not to be able to understand hip-hop lyrics (although some of the US hip hop acts are a push to understand anyway).That way i can just listen to the rhythm of the vocal and to the voice itself. I like the language, the tone and the rhythm of this. The tracks were all ok (except Ragga Jam which was shit). A perfectly reasonable album. I won't be listening again, though, unless I open a boutique on the Kings Road or a coffee shop in Hampstead. (Listens : 1)
It's better than I expected but it's also French
Intro - 3 Qui seme le vent recolte le tempo - 3 Matiere grasse contre matiere grise - 3 Victime de la mode - 3 L'histoire de l'art - 4 Armand est mort - 3 Quartier nord - 3 Interlude - na A temps partiel - 3 Caroline - 2 Le musique adoucit les moeurs - 3 Bouge de la (part. 1) - 2 Bouge de la (part. 2) - 2 Ragga Jam - 2 La devise - 3 Funky dreamer - 2
French hip hop! Yes!
French rap sounds better than I expected, the beats and production were kind of dated but I've certainly heard worse
Not bad for an album I couldn’t understand. I liked it!
This was pleasant!
Incredibly French. Maybe the Frenchest thing ever. And also the most 90s thing ever. Very saucy - my limited French skills tell me that a lot of this is him naming places in the world and saying he wants to cuddle all the ladies in all those places. Good for him. This is a fun background listen
déjà écouté, sah c'est un classique mais le flow dépassé et les bars édulcorée comme ça c'est moins mon truc je préfère quand ça rentre dans le sujet plus directement. Les instrus un peu jazzy et le flow ça fait très a tribe called quest et tout, franchement bg d'avoir ramené ça en france
Sounded pretty cool but didn't knock my socks off. Review: 5.5/10
Suuuuper interesantee!
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this when I saw it was French rap - I was wrong. This was such a pleasant surprise, the opening few tracks especially are super cool with really nice flows. Despite not understanding a word, I was vibing to a lot of the songs here. Albums like this one make me happy I started this challenge.
More interested in the beats than the lyrics.
Now, that's a bit different. Rap in a foreign language. Not what I would buy, or probably ever listen to again. But im glad to have had the opportunity to listen this time.
Foreign language hip hop is so hard to properly rank because so much of hip hop is dependent on the lyrics. I know like. Basic French, so I understood maybe 30% of this. It’s definitely fun but so much is lost on me
I really wish I spoke French because I’m reading that MC Solaar loves a pun. And his song is full of wordplay which is a dream. It’s an easy listen and fun and I’m sure I’d love it even more if I had it in me to translate.
Had some nice flow beats but wouldnt listen to again
Convenable
A great early 90s hip-hop album, just the way I like them. Great beats, great rapper, all around delight.
1991. Album considered like a pioneer in french rap music.
Ok, I guess. Not a huge rap fan and it being in French made it hard to get into.
Funky Frenchy hip-hop. I guess I would listen to it if I liked hip hop. But I don't. 6/10
310/1089 some french 1990s hip hop?? okay i’m intrigued sounds funky and i’m enjoying it but i do feel like this genre hinges quite heavily on the listener being able to understand the lyrics and i don’t know French the album was fun and enjoyable tbf, nothing groundbreaking to me but still nice faves: Caroline, Funky Dreamer 60/100
This wasn’t too bad. Great vibe, despite not understanding any of it.
French jazz rap is actually pretty good. No distracting lyrics as I have no idea what he is saying, but the flow is nice
I don't understand a word of the lyrics but the beats are funky.
2.8/5 A lot better than the rappers now
Gonna need to relisten to that one to be sure
I’m kind of shocked by how decent that was. Warm old-school beats and a pretty good flow. The French language is redeeming itself.
This is fun to listen to - would be really good background music at a party - and MC Solaar clearly has a great flow, but it's just hard to really get into an album when you don't understand the lyrics.
Even though I always feel like I only get a partial experience with non-English-language albums, I enjoyed this laid-back album quite a bit. It's always fun to hear a rap/hip-hop album that comes from a different place/source/tradition than US-based East/West Coast styles, and this is definitely positioned far from either coast. I particularly enjoyed the title track (with a great dance-inspiring video), "Victim de la mode" (although I couldn't entirely figure out the video's storyline), the semi-Prince-like "La musique adoucit les moeurs" and the rightfully popular single "Bouge de La" (part I), but all of the tracks were pretty fun even if the album overall felt a bit long.
enjoyed it and am sure I failed to appreciate the lyrics
Some cool below sounds... did not understand a word, but the vibe was fine,,,,,
French class
Great early 90s hip hop album. I do not speak French but MC Solaar has a nice flow and these songs are well produced and do a great job of representing this era. There is even a fake Jamaican accent song .
I can’t understand a word these rappers say. It might as well have all been in French… This was well done. I will always prefer American rap by miles, one of my true American-centric biases, but the production and beats were solid.
This is up my street, and was popular around the time I grew up. It's good but I don't know there's much I'd want to return to, it feels like it lacks depth.
Hey, French hip hop fans, have I got a record for you! Mon Française n’est pas très bien mais j’aime cette album
Ranskalaista räppiä old school meiningillä. Mitään en ymmärrä mutta toimivaa
french hip hop goes hard
L’histoire de l’art is a banger. This is an album all over the spectrum of rap of its time period, but not always in a good way (did I just hear his version of LL Cool J? Ew, don't do that). His Jazz influenced rap beats are nice though, and he has the ability to bring steez when he tries to approach his lyrics in a smooth tone instead of impersonating more famous rappers of the time period from the states.
muuuy chill
It’s pretty good. It’s nice to hear some French for a change. I love the jazzy vibe
French rap
French rap, quite a genre. Was a workout for my very limited vocab, don't know why this guy is talking about strawberries and blueberries but I worry I might not want to. Bouge de la was actually really good, bit de la souly. The rest of it was listenable but not understanding the language of rap did limit it a fair bit. 2.5
it's fine. good for what is is. just not my jam
Hmm. Fine
3/5
133. nice
Chill, cool, whip smart, even if I can't understand a damn word of it. I knew of MC Solaar but hadn't ever sat down with this one, but it's a really great addition to the early 90's hip hop scene. I'd give it way more stars if I had any clue about the rhymes though.
Fun instrumental, but I am unable to understand what is being said. Low 3/5
At first I thought cool, this is a French Jazzmatazz, unfortunately it didn't end up being as cool as that. Still pretty cool though.
Pretty fun. I like it. Don’t know what the bloke’s saying though
Pretty enjoyable album that I knew nothing about. The title track is pretty great. The one thing that's keeping this from being a 4 is unfortunately the language barrier. It's not like the music i like *must* be sung in English, but with a genre like hip hop, I think you do lose a great deal of what the music is trying to say. The beats are fine, and the lyrics are an unknown. 3/5 it is.
Nisam ljubitelj ni ovakvog repanja ni francuskog jezika pogotovo ali mi je ovo fino ponajviše zbog muzičke baze.
90's vibes hip hop, but so many more albums of this genre and time period i would rank higher
Is it possible to rap in French over acid jazz and not just sound effortlessly cool?
Nice change of pace
Didn't understand a word, but the speed at which they were delivered was quite impressive at times. Good beats and flow.
This was really fun. I like the genre fusions of jazz and reggae with low-fi hip hop. No idea what he was saying through any of it, but it was really vibey and fun to hang out with. Production was cool, very 90s but really good.
A very pleasant surprise. Enjoyed this and will listen again.
01/04/2026 Regardless of the fact it's French and I can't understand it, it's just not for me. Spotify listeners: 1.6 million
hard one, good beats and rhythm but i don't speak french
Like it 3/5
A good album, but very inoffensive. We're far from "Fuck the police" stuff and closer to "Comply with the police" stuff.
It's refreshing to hear some french vocals with a nicely done delivery on old-school beats. I can't say this album will be a keeper, but I had a good time for sure!
French fresh prince.
6/10
I'd probably rate this higher if I could speak French. Has a really cool sound.
some cool sounds and chill vibes. i dont know that french rap goes hard but it does sound lovely. favorite song is Caroline
Rating: 7/10 Hard to judge this very fairly. It's French boom bap where the lyricism can't be understood or fully appreciated if you don't speak it, and it seems like the lyrics are a prominent feature of the album where the jazzy beats flow along taking a backseat to the poetic rhymes. Some turntablism in the mix. Overall it sounds nice and and be kinda fire sometimes, and as I listened the run of good tracks just kept going.
Fun and flows well, felt a little shallow but not a bad album 5.7
I enjoyed the hip hop and jazz fusion in the earlier tracks on the album, but gradually lost interest as the fusion shifted more to a reggae feel. I don't speak any French, so I don't have an informed opinion on any of the lyrics. Was a fun listen for a while.
French is so sexy in rap songs, whole album was lyrical and flowed so well!
OMG MC SOLAAR de lieblingsrapper vom französische lehrmittel uhh hotte ahfang, au wenn chli schad wenns gad wieder ussefaded iwie han ich mier denkt, dasser aggressiver rappt OMG VICTIME DE LA MODE HEMMER IDE PRIMAR GLOST isch au en coole song! es lied wie quartier nord han ich mier iwie meh vorgstellt! ich finds bis jz na cool aber macht relativ wenig mit mier caroline isch geiiiiiiiil HAHAHHA ragga jam isch ja safe nöd gmacht zum erst gno worde aber ARRRRRRRSDCH oke es macht au no spass I guess han ich z höchi erwartige gha? hett ich d lyrics meh gnosse wenn ich französisch besser chönnt? wahrschindlich. aber eso hani eifach nöd megaa spass gha. 2 oder 3, au wennsmer weh tuet, will ich eig meh nöd-englischsprachigi artists wett
6/10
Cool beats, didn't understand a word of it though
Decent
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This album is pretty different from anything else I've heard - it's French language rap over a sort of jazz/r&b backdrop. I didn't understand the lyrics, and some of the vocals were offputting, but overall I appreciated the voice as an extra instrument. I recognized a Marvin Gaye sample. I enjoyed having heard this once, and I would listen again, but probably would not seek it out.
A solid listen
I don't speak french so I can't say much about the lyrics but the beats and rap flow were pretty standard for this time. It's not bad and maybe not knowing the actual lyrics might be a benefit since most hiphop of this era kind of centered around the same topics with the exception of a few acts. To be honest if I was in the mood for this kind of music I would probably just end up putting on Tribe or something
7/10
rapping in French seems so difficult, but also, they don’t have to pronounce like half the word?
Ok but nothing special
Meget sej rap, men også lidt 90'er-agtigt. Blev ikke helt grebet.
I had no idea what I was listening to but I was 100% in on it. Love the sound and the flow he has. It was a good listen through and through. I need to listen further before I could really find the songs that hit or miss for me though.
Was pleasantly surprised by this album. I wish I knew what he was saying, but his voice just rolls off like sweet honey. A couple of the more hip-hop songs caught my attention, and L'histoire de l'art or caroline was maybe my standout track. With the exception of the last track, The last 3 songs before that I did not really enjoy at all. It might have been a 4 without those, but this get 3.5 stars
Hahahah this is awesome to find. Pretty fun - nothing extraordinary but really nice change of pace Best Song: Caroline Rating: 6.0/10 Stars: 3/5
A super enjoyable foreign language album. I enjoyed the music, and the lyrics, while in French, were still quite fun, too. Very good vibes on this.
Je commence à me sentir comme un dieu du rap
as a noted france fan: j'aime
Cool valg til listen! Fede beats. Ingen anelse om hvad han siger men det lyder fedt når han siger det.
French rapping made this fun! Reminded me of Ikscheltaschel
First listen: not the intro I expected from an artist who styles themselves and MC. It has a good sound, reminding me of De La and some of the Blue Note Jazz\hip hop fusions. I just wish I spoke French. A Temps Partiel's sound and pacing reminds me a great deal of Above The Law's "Freedom of Speech". Ragga Jam feels distinctly out of place to me and is problematically repetitive. Luckily they got back into some good stuff immediately after.
Quite slick and jazz infused. Certainly has a different slant than the version of hip hop across the pond
#856. I've listened to 3 or 4 British rap albums so far for this list, and they were all absolute trash, so when I saw another non-American rap album I was a bit hesitant. But the hesitance was unnecessary as this was actually pretty decent. I mean, the lyrics could be absolute cringe too, but I don't speak French, so I wouldn't know, all I know is I thought it sounds pretty good. 3/5: acceptable
Have heard of MC Solaar, the odd single here and there. Sounds cool in that early 90s hip hop way. Laid back and jazzy, but doesn't exactly stand out. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No 48/200 (24%) Will I get: Probably
I don't speak French, but I also don't emphasize lyrics heavily when evaluating an album, so to rated purely based on musical merit, it was solid. The funky instrumentals and sampling could rival any other top selling boom-bap album. 6.5/10
honestly some of the best hip hop i've heard in awhile. It feels very international despite being in french.
Oui, je suis un baguette
Overall Rating - 3.04/5 (6.08/10). I'm sure I would like this either more or less if I were fluent in French. It can be a bit repetitive, but that is a feature of the style, and it's not at all unpleasant.
Early 90s French Boom Bap. Its got some nice samples and cool moments. Bit hard to get into it because it's so lyrical. I want to encourage more music from around the world. It's fine, and I'm sure it was fucking sick in the 6th Arrondissement in 1991
Would enjoy more if I knew french, but the beats, the flow, and the vibe were all great.
Good beats, good flow, good early 90s hip hop....but its all in French and i dont understand a word he is saying, which puts a definite ceiling on my enjoyment of it. Sorry if that makes me ugly American, but understanding the lyrics is a pretty big part of enjoying hip hop. The Marvin Gaye sample was cool, but probably just because I love that song.
I was actually digging this one at first, I thought that the beats were really interesting, and overall I did like it, but the rap was pretty bad. It’s the same flow for practically the entire album. It’s not even that it’s in French, it’s that there’s no variation, he approaches every song the same way and it gets tedious.
Decent French album!
This sounds like it sounds good—the beats are fun and catchy, MC Solaar's lyrics seem fun and inventive, but I feel like I can't properly judge it without speaking the language. With rap, so much of the craft is in the lyric writing (which I can overlook for a lot of other genres), so I just don't know how to judge this without knowing a lick of French. But again, it seems good. I'm going to give it a neutral rating of 3 stars, not because of anything it did wrong, but because of my own inability to make a clear judgement on it.
Hyvä svengi ja flow. Mitään en ymmärräny paitsi temmosta puhu usein ja yleisesti.
This was a blast to listen to. Don't really listen to rap or like it to be honest but this one surprised me positively. The french rapping, grooves and everything worked for me. Best song was Matière grasse contre matière grise.
Album 87. Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo (https://open.spotify.com/album/5hM61fBUA5OIMJUUuMrzyH?si=l9e3ly_NQ8SKB7fdBC5gyQ) — MC Solaar (1991) French hip hop with a great flow? Viiiibeeesss It’s so cool and unusual. I've heard maybe a couple French rap tracks ever. French hip hop has exceptional sound and style. Flow and rhythm are so smooth and easy to listen to. It’s funky and jazzy. I love it, but I don’t understand it lol. I had to read lyrics translation of some songs later, it sucks. I’m getting high when I hear a mix of hip hop and jazz. It conquers new frontiers of music sound for me. Blends like this simultaneously combine extremely chill sound and masterful rapping technique. It’s fucking brilliant. It's like french A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Gang Starr or something else. Unfortunately, language barrier kills 50% of the album for me, I'd like to rate it even better. It would easily be 4 out of 5 if it were in English. Lyrics are crucial and critical in rap. I just can't understand his clever wordplay, puns, references in French. Afterthought. Despite the language barrier, I want more French hip hop. 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Victime de la mode — Ragga Jam
neat listen!
Give me more non-English music! When I can't understand the lyrics, I really have to listen to all the other things going on in the music and it makes me appreciate them more. This is a very well-made hip-hop album, and being in French gives it a really cool identity. Favorite track: "L'histoire de l'art"
First Listen; 3; Album is well done and enjoyable. Upbeat and diverse, smooth as well. Something that I could see coming back to for the right vibe. Favorite Track: Quartier nord
hiphop, rap, französisch, 1991 -> 3
Rap Is not really one of my favorite styles, and French is not really one of my favorite languages, but I enjoy this album, some interesting songs.
Drums
Although I don't speak english it was tea asf
Beats are great for 91
French 90s hip hop. Very jazzy and smooth.
If I could give this negative stars I would
Jammer dat ik de tekst niet goed genoeg kan verstaan...
I liked it. Album had a certain ease to it. Like the productions mix of genres. Overall a good album. 3.5/5 Might listen again
It doesn't feel like I can really judge rap in languages I don't speak. It sounds good and musically the quality is there, but lyrics are essential for comprehension in this genre.
3/5
Wish I could understand.
Despite not speaking French, this rap album is surprisingly listenable
Better than I expected.
I really appreciate the density of words he gets on here and his flow is immaculate. Also enjoyed the social commentary. However, it was a bit one note for me and felt really long.
3.5 virkelig lækker produktion og gode vokaler!! Han er med på Guru’s Jazzmatazz vol. 1!!!
See on nagu prantslaste A Tribe Called Quest, ainult et kiirema flow'ga. Lahe kõla ning väga chill, sellist asja saab pikalt kuulata. Räppari vokaal paitab kõrva. Aga kuidagi ühte patta vajub see kõik, lugusid väga hästi ei erista. 3.4/5
It was fine but minus one star for being french
nice flow but becomes dull quite fast
Jälleen yksi räppilevy, tällä kertaa ranskan kielellä. Tunnistin tätä kuunnellessa ainakin viisi sanaa. Ihan ok kokemus, mutta en keksi mitään syytä miksi kuuntelisin tätä uudelleen.
Only listened to half
The odd french rap didn't land
Fransk hiphop. rap osv var stadig en meget amerikansk ting, da dette blev udgivet, så det at det er i europa/frankrig er rimelig stort. Han spillede videre på intellektuel rap og hvad det kunne være, hvor teksterne har meget fokus på Historie, racisme, krig og store emner. Det er conscious hip hop og jazz rap og der er endda også noget reggae agtig indeover på nogle af numrene. Jeg synes det var sjovt at lytte til mig der er ikke noget specielt ved dette album som fænger mig. Måske dykker jeg ikke nok ned i historien eller hvad man skal sige, men det siger mig bare ikke mega meget.
Some decent enough dance music, a bit repetitive
While I didn't thoroughly enjoy this, I didn't dislike anything about it. Some of the singing is pretty impressive and the music good at times, but mostly it's just not my style. 3/5
There are those three (3) star albums that are just ok, middle of the road. Then there are three star albums like this: a pleasure to listen to, and if discovered at a different stage in life could’ve bloomed into an all time favourite.
800 albums... and I'm celebrating it with a French hip-hop album. Why is this website like this? Why can't I get a milestone album for a milestone number? Can't I get one of those "all-time classic" albums that I'm still missing like Disintegration or Songs in the Key of Life? Whatever. Those will have to wait, I guess. Here we have MC Solaar's 1991 debut album Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo. Now, let's start by addressing the elephant in the room. I don't speak French. This album is in French. There's a bit of a conflict there as far as what I get out of this album. Here's the thing. It would be wrong to give this album a low score because it's not in a language that I understand. That would be low-key racist of me to do. However, it is objectively more difficult for me to appreciate certain aspects of this album due to the language barrier, namely the lyricism. From what I could gather, it seems to be fairly well written, but I, as someone who only speaks English and a little bit of Spanish, am unable to appreciate most of the French wordplay that goes into this album. That doesn't mean that I can't appreciate other things though! The production here is actually quite good. The beats, courtesy of Jimmy Jay, are pretty varied and are nice. There's a bit of a jazz rap vibe going on for much of the album, which I like. It kinda reminds me of the Pharcyde in that regard. While I don't fully understand what he's saying, I can tell that MC Solaar has a pretty good flow. It is VERY French, but the guy flows his words together in a way that I like listening to. The rhymes are good. Overall, Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is an album that I'm glad that I listened to, but that I unfortunately can not fully appreciate in the way that others could. I respect this quite a bit, but my personal enjoyment of it is lower than it could've been. Hip-hop is a genre that I mostly go to for the lyricism, so while good production and flow can increase my enjoyment of an album, my own inability to fully understand the lyricism holds back my personal enjoyment of the album and prevents it from regularly entering my rotation. Good stuff, but not really for me. High 3/5.
Favorite track was a temps partiel
Not bad, interesting listen. French rap, who knew?
This would sound wonderful in a Paris brasserie, with a cup of coffee, or even a glass of vin rouge. On this cold, wet, December day in Glasgow it still sounds pretty good. Some excellent flow, over busy, shifting tracks.
i was vibing to this
This is Spanish.
Had a surprising amount of fun with this one. I don't think French rap is for me but I bopped and enjoyed the listen.
Didn't understand a single word, but enjoyed the vibes, nice for background when cleaning or cooking, not really an album to just sit down and listen to.
Interesting. Some songs gave me Manu Chao vibes.
This was pretty far out. I'm glad it was on the 1001 as I don't think I would have ever come across it otherwise. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it as a one shot listen.
I liked this but am not likely to listen again.
Thought I would hate every second, but despite not speaking French it was upbeat and enjoyable. For all I know though he was spewing hatred.
Cool French rap
It's french. But the flows are good and old-school.
Is my ability to enjoy the thematic elements of this album limited by my inability to understand French? Yes. Am I going to learn French anytime soon? Probably not.
7/10 though I barely understood what was said (because i don't speak french,) I did enjoy his flows and could tell the he had talent
Like some French rap - nothing special
This must be what Serge Gainsbourg sounds like if he were a rapper. And I gotta admit…I kinda dig it.
I was listening to this with my AirPods in noise cancelation and man some of those songs where he came in all sultry in French had me feeling a little uncomfortable…maybe slightly aroused and questioning my life. 2.5 but rounding up for rapping in French 🤷♂️
No knock to MC Solaar’s talent, but damn it’s hard to take French rappers seriously. The language is just too beautiful. Still, this early record shines in production and some deft and I assume/hope lyrical rapping. I have to think it’s on the list due to being among the first global entries in the American art form. I enjoyed it on headphones; don’t need to hear again.
It's not a great album but it is a pleasant one. I did enjoy the low-key beats but nothing struck me as incredibly exciting. I'll give it a few more listenings to see if the album grows on me
Interesting.
Often called one of France’s greatest rappers, MC Solaar delivers something that’s both unmistakably 90s. My French is absolutely terrible, so there’s a cultural and linguistic divide here, but even without understanding the words, the flow and delivery sound effortless. The production feels right at home with the era’s boom-bap beats, and if he were rapping in English, it would easily fit alongside early 90s hip-hop greats. I’ll need to dig into translations to really grasp the lyricism, but even without that, it’s impressive to hear how fluid and musical his French rhymes are.
Jazzy chords? Rap in a language that my students can't understand? I am a happy dude.
Why do metal and hip hop sound cooler when not in English?
It’s French but it’s alright
Overall: 6/10 In a perfect world, the fact that I don't speak french would have no impact on my rating of this album. Unfortunately, we live in a very flawed and insane world. Lyrics are so important to rap music and I have no idea what he's saying. I'm not letting it affect the rating too much but it loses at least one point. Aside from the lyrics I don't understand, he has a really nice flow which I find pleasant to listen to. On top of that, the beats and instrumentals are pretty great, and I would have believed you if you said this came out in the early 2000s. Overall, I enjoy it more than I expected to, and maybe one day I'll learn french so I can understand the lyrics. Fav Song: Matière grasse contre matière grise
This album was sent to me as a reminder that I've lost 99% of my ability to understand French. What a bad Canadian. 3.5
That was,, interesting? I enjoyed it on the ride to work. But I didn't listen to it a second time today.
Dude had flow but I missed out on a ton of the word play since I dont speak French
Microphone check / sacre bleu / what is this? The french assassin with the rough neck business?
Caroline is nice! Never listened to this before.
Loved the beats and flows in this even though I do not speak even basic French. I had a few Solaar songs on the rotation back in the day but hadn't heard any of these nor listened to an album clean through. Was well worth it.
My third Hip Hop album in the space of a week. This one was completely new to me. No idea what he is rapping about but it didn’t detract. This was good!
An album I may never have heard if not for the generator. I'm glad I've heard it! I'd probably enjoy it more with another listen or two, but I like it. Very chill. It lulled me into a kind of meditative state. Favorite track is Armand est mort for the Marvin Gaye sample - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).
Ok listen
Not bad. French is cool.
Fous lyrics
273/1089 - Some cool jazz rap. Wasn't a big fan of his voice and I lost interest with the reggae stuff towards the end.
6/10… french hip hop
"Victime de la mode" is a standout.
Cool album, really enjoyed the production.
Some decent hip hop, but it suffers from the same thing a lot of old school early 90s hip hop does. It just sounds so same-y. Similar backing track, with the same style of speaking over the beats. With other early 90s rap albums, at least the words differenctiate the songs. And I'm sure they do here as well, but I don't speak French so it's all over my head. Still, it's a solid album. MC Solaar's has the rap skill. Gets a bit better in the middle, with Caroline, La Musique Adoucit Les Moeurs, and the pair of Bouge De La songs. Then Ragga Jam just hits you with an incredibly fun time. The album closes out all right. Solid album. Best song: Ragga Jam
Vibey in a way
Really enjoyed the sounds for not understanding a word, gotta respect the skill, good rapping, good variety, good listen
This is a beautifully crafted album. It captures typical sounds from the 90s, and today, it sounds very nostalgic. I really enjoyed "Bouge de là" and "Ragga Jam!"
Some interesting moments and some grating ones
Rap, nicht schlecht aber es gibt besseres
Favorite Track: Quartier Nord
I like the sound of it, for a hip-hop album the singer has a great flow 3/5
Was wel grappige franse rap
Et bah très très cool, c'est la genèse du rap français, j'avais jamais écouté. Juste pour les paroles et certaines musiques c'était un peu moins bien.
Sympa
Kind of troll international album. Musically diverse. I liked the rapping even though I couldn’t understand any of it
Why is there a French rap album on this list
Makes me want to retake french. cool jazz rap.
ooooh what a pretty intro! Whoa, didn't see this coming. French rap. This is dope. meh, it was goof for a bit. 3 stars.
oui oui tres bien
I think I've already forgotten MC Solaar's name and all the songs from this album, but it was somewhat entertaining.
Might have been 4-stars if I understood French
MC Solaar’s 1991 debut Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo finds the French rapper sliding into the jazzy, mellow sound that defined New York’s early-’90s hip-hop, which makes his later collaboration with Guru feel inevitable. While Solaar doesn’t break much new ground musically, his smooth cadence and French-language delivery gave the genre a fresh, international accent at a time when rap was still seen as strictly American. The title track leans on a hypnotic trumpet solo, “L’histoire de l’art” recalls DJ Premier with its horn break and scratching, and “Caroline” drifts into atmospheric groove. Elsewhere, “Quartier nord” amps up the aggression with a faster flow, while “La musique adoucit les mœurs” and “Funky Dreamer” play with English-language samples. Not revolutionary, but historically significant, the album quietly signaled hip-hop’s reach beyond U.S. borders.
7/10
2.5 stars I guess now I know how people who don’t speak English feel about American music. I liked the beats and groove. The flow sounded good. But because I had no idea what he was saying, it’s difficult to feel like I enjoyed it. I certainly didn’t dislike it. But it’s tough to say I needed to hear it before I die. I may listen to it in the future in anticipation of a trip to France or something. Or maybe when I need background music where I don’t want to get distracted by lyrics. But otherwise nothing pulling me to return.
Refreshing rap in a language other than English.
Pleasant enough, but not dynamic enough musically to compensate for not having any lyrical value for me, a dumb anglophone. (The flip side of that is that I was able to study while listening to this, which I can't do when listening to anything in English.)
foreign
Twas rap innit. Not really my thing, but the different language gave it a more instrumental feel
pas mal
Bra beats, kul med franska!
Honestly this was pretty decent even if I didn't understand what was happening at all... although I did hear a couple of pee pee's and doo doo's on here. Did I need to hear this? Probably not, but it was generally enjoyable. Going with a unmoved 3/5
No idea what he's saying, but I liked this a lot better than most of the English language rap that we've heard. Feels a little jazzy and more melodic than those. His rhythm and rhyming work really well despite not understanding the words. High 3
I don't know what they're saying. I don't know how offensive it is either, therefore, its classy. I've enjoyed French rap before, but don't have any reference or name. I enjoyed this although it did eventually drag on.
I'm at a disadvantage in that I don't speak French. But this sounds great. Effortlessly cool. It's not something I would listen to for fun, but it's beautiful stuff. My rating is for me personally; I think this is quality stuff!
An interesting listen - relatively generic late 80s hip hop with French lyrics. The French part is what is most engaging. It has a nice flow but if I were in the mood for this type of music, I’d much sooner reach for something closer to source. Bonus point for slipping in the dun-dun-dah riff from The People’s Court on Quartier Nord. 3/5
No idea what they’re saying. But sounds ok
Some good French beats. Third song is pretty good. But a little hard to really enjoy a hip hop album in another language
Strong album
I had no idea what to expect, but apparently, 1980s French Hip-Hop is at least enjoyable. I didn't understand hardly any of the lyrics(I know virtually nothing about the French language), so my rating is based on vibes, how much I like the rhythm, and the instrumental beats. It's fairly good, but it could have been about ten minutes shorter. Favorite Track: "Ragga Jam(impro)".
This was better than I expected. It's not always the best hip-hop I've heard, but I can appreciate it. I mean, I couldn't understand a word, but... yeah. 6/10
Bueno
Considering I can't stand rap / hip-hop, this actually wasn't so bad. It makes a difference when you don't understand the obnoxiousness of the lyrics. You only have the music & the beat to focus on.
French rap is to elegant.
A very pleasant French hip hop
Was okay, all doings sounded the same except for the ‘reggae’ one which was just bad
Really decent Easy to listen to Hypnotic rhyming and rthymn
Nice flow, but also wasn’t terribly engaging for me (due to the language barrier).. other foreign albums may be supported by the music but hiphop tends to just be a beat and the lyrical prrformance. 3/5 overall pretty good
Wasn't expecting 90s French hip-hop, pretty dang rad.
Falco did non English rap way better
Ranskalaista hiphoppia. Instrumentaalisesti aika samanlaista, kuin muukin saman ajan hiphop. Sanoista en luonnollisesti ymmärrä mitään. Aika rento ja letkeä meininki. Parhaat: La devise, Caroline
Big fan of foreign language rap. (ntm.)
Cool flow for French rap. Not really my thing but good sounds.
Unfortunate that I can't understand french because I really would like to know what MC Solaar is rapping about, but fortunately for this album the production is so fun and varied, aside that MC Solaar's flow is so bouncy and rhythmic that it got stuck in my head. I wasn't expecting much from this album but I had a great time with it.
Whelp. I don't speak French, so I can't comment on the lyrics. But the music was good, and he's a skilled rapper. Apparently he's THE French rapper and this his big album. 3
I never thought about French hip-hop before. This is great though! The beats are excellent. And even though I couldn’t understand MC Solaar’s lyrics, his flow is fantastic. He’s got a great, bouncy, playful style. He can rap fast too! Oh man, I love the chaotic energy of “Ragga Jam”!
Very cool French rap. I really dig the vibe and I'm extra interested because it's from the 1990's. I really liked "Ragga Jam", and the two "Bouge" tracks, "Bouge de la - Part 1 & 2". It's kind of funny listening though and not knowing any French at all. I felt like his vocals were just another instrument doing it's thing. After this one finished it automatically started playing another record of his called "Prose Combat", which is an amazing album title for the genre.
Glad I listened but it was kind of too much for me
3+
I'm sure it's great, but I don't speak French, so I can't digest the most important part of hip hop. I do find the music palatable though and generally enjoyed the vibe of listening to it this afternoon.
This is pretty decent, if not exactly my thing. There's some good variation in beats and production, and some interesting little notes of difference in there. It feels ahead of its time a bit considering this is very early 90's. It's quite funky at times, and there's some nice smooth rhymes in there, even if I don't understand what he's saying.
I do not understand a word of it but it is excellent.
Ganska kul rap på franska. Men tveksamt om jag lyssnar på den igen.
Gear: Letshuoer S12 PRO Artwork: 😵💽🔲 Production: 🙄🤔🤷 Music: 🎤🥖💆♂️ Rating: 🟦⬜🟥/5
French jazz hip hop. My favorite.
This rules. Love how good French sounds when rapped. Great sampling throughout. Very listenable.
Ei lainkaan hassumpi! Seassa parit oikein toimivat rallit. Uudelleenkin voisi kuunnella.
Ok, not my thing but pleasant enough
When this ended, I started it again from the beginning. Scratches an inch I didn't know I had.
It’s French. It’s rap I guess. Narrow audience probably.
I wanted to try to keep an open mind, since he's rapping in French. The first couple of tunes I could get a sense of his flow, thinking of his voice more like the lead instrument. "Ragga Jam"... just got annoying after a while. It was nice background music, really. Top tracks: title track, Funky Dreamer
He's got a good groove and a voice that perfectly fits his funky or neo-soul beats. I particularly liked Victime de la mode, L'histoire de l'art, La musique adoucit les moeurs, and Bouge de la (pt 1). Ragga Jam wasn't bad - rapping and cadence was impressive - but it doesn't really fit with the sound of the rest of the album. I'm probably not coming back to this but I didn't mind it.
Funky and cool
This is #day324 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it was fun to discover the first major star of French hip-hop. My exposure to hip-hop delivered in French growing up was kind of amusing in hindsight, but still memorable... K-Maro ("Femme like you," "Qu'est ce que ça te fout", and particularly "Sous l'oeil de l'ange"), and that one Iron Sy track from District B13. But I'd never really heard anything from '90s French hip-hop, the period of the genre I get to gravitate toward, and I had no idea that France is the second largest hip-hop market in the world after the US either. As for Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo, I liked the music and production a lot, especially on numbers like "Armand est mort" and "Quarier nord," though the French rapping can feel a little overwhelming at times. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day325.
Better than expected! Good tunes, decent rapping! Some good lyrics
Good
Never listened to french hip hop before but now I have. It was cool.
TBH, I’m too lazy to look up the English translation of the lyrics… But this meant I could just enjoy the music and the beats
Pleasant surprise, rap does hit hard when sung in French.
No es mi estilo pero me gusto
I liked this! A wild guess but I bet this is the only French hip hop album on the list. This album flowed well, as not all hip hop does, but possibly because it was French. I fear something got lost since I don't know French, and since so much hip hop is socially conscious, it behooves you to listen to the lyrics. Alas.
So, French hip-hop is kind of a vibe. I didn't understand a word of what he said, but he sure made everything sound cool. I like that the music is kind of funky, too.
Jazzy soulful beats over poetic flowing French rap
Not really a rap fan, beats were cool tho
Don't hate it but it's not for me.
Pleseant funky beats, and while at times feels dated it also feels fresh.
I like your funny words magic man. Feels ahead of its time in a way, but still dated.
I have a feeling that if I understood French, it wouldn't sound as good. However, I have no clue what any of it meant, and all I knew was that a foreign language sounded cool with the hip hop beats. It had some swagger to it and gave my Saturday afternoon a cool mood.
This was super enjoyable, but I regret that I can’t understand his lyrics. It seems like he has a lot to say. The beats and flow are on par, if not ahead of, everything else in 1991. I love how he mixed it up and sounded like Prince at times and Sublime at others.
Very fun. Don't know if I will revisit, but definitely enjoyed it playing while I was working.
Some french hip hop. Bright drum kit on the beats, lots of horns in the mix. Pretty solid. Neat to hear the flow in french
I don’t know that I REALLY liked this, I’m probably giving it a pretty hard round up here. But I was very tickled to listen to French hip hop, and also thought the production was neat in a bizarro world early-90s-hip-hop-but-make-it-continental way.
I don’t know, it was ok? It’s hard to rate as it’s old, and it’s in a language I don’t understand. I didn’t dislike it, and it had some decent beats, so I’ll give it a 3. Maybe a 2.5 if there were half stars.
This is decent, but loses me because I've never learned French. For hip-hop to be truly successful the lyrics matter the most, so I'm missing out. That's not the artist's fault, I think he's got a good voice and flow. The music is good too. I'm just limited in how much I can enjoy this. Pity I'm not French. "Ragga Jam" slaps though.
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.
Probably would like this more if I was fluent in French. Beats good flow good
This was a challenge as this stretched my semi-lapsed A level French (without the French lyrics on screen I would have been lost) but in a weird way it probably meant I followed the lyrics more than I might otherwise. It has a good flow, decent variety of backing tracks and nice wordplay. It’s not groundbreaking from a non francophone country perspective but enjoyed it.
This album sounds pretty old fashioned and basic, even for '91. The beats are slow and simple, and not particularly interesting. The last third or so of the album really picks up, it's unfortunate the whole album wasn't more like that.
Miten joku osaa puhua ranskaa noin nopeasti?
tres interesante. 3.5
tiene un par de momentos interesantes. Está bueno para tener ahi de fondo
Even though I didn't understand what he was saying, I still dug the beats and his flow.
Got a little close to Snow's Informer at times, but pretty solid overall.
this was interesting. normally with rap id be focused on the lyrics but that wasnt possible since i dont speak french. the delivery and the beats were good though
Pretty fun, but ive not understood the draw
Damn. I got hit with the back to back hip hop album. This is pretty good. I said that the previously-recommended Public Enemy album was my favourite hip hop album, though I take that back. I think it might be this. There's a very satisfying level of ambition to this album. It samples a ton of different genres and instruments yet somehow manages to bring it all together into a satisfying package. The more relaxed moments of the album worked best for me. I think those songs bring out the best of MC Solaar, which is his suave. "Caroline" is my favourite song on the album. A great downtempo beat with some very nice strings in the background. The pivot towards a reggaeton sound during the latter half of the song is also an ambitious decision that I respect. The weakest part of this album was probably "La musique adoucit les mœurs". It's by no means a bad song, but boy does it drag on. Scratch that, it's probably "Ragga Jam". I'm not a fan of reggae, I gotta admit.
Not bad
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