MC Solaar
Background information
Birth name	Claude M'Barali
Born	March 5, 1969
Origin	Dakar, Senegal
Genre(s)	French Rap
Years active	1990-present
Website	http://www.solaarsystem.net/

MC Solaar is the stage name of francophone hip hop artist Claude M'Barali (born March 5, 1969). By far the most internationally popular French rapper, he was born in Dakar, Senegal to parents from Chad. As a rapper MC Solaar is known for the complexity and poetry of his songs, which rely on wordplay, lyricism, and philosophical inquiry. The music is based on dance rhythms and sensual grooves. In the English-speaking world, Solaar was signed by London acid jazz label Talkin' Loud and invited to record with British group Urban Species and Guru, a member of the famous and highly-acclaimed New York group Gang Starr. Image File history File links MC_Solaar. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Most French hip hop artists come from poor suburbs of Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse or Marseille. ... This article is about the year. ... A stage name, or a screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers (such as actors, athletes, comedians, porn stars, musicians, and clowns). ... Francophone means French-speaking. ... Hip hop music, also referred to as rap or rap music, is a style of popular music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Most French hip hop artists come from poor suburbs of Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse or Marseille. ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Acid jazz (sometimes groove jazz) is a musical genre that combines jazz influences with elements of soul music, funk, disco and hip hop. ... Guru Guru (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal) (born July 17, 1961) is an alternative rapper, best known for his pioneering work in the fusion of jazz and rap, and as one half of Gang Starr. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Gang Starr is a hip hop duo composed of MC Guru and DJ Premier based in Brooklyn, New York. ...

Early life

Claude M'Barali was born on March 5, 1969 in Dakar, Senegal to parents of Chadian origin. When he was six months old his parent immigrated to France where they eventually settled in the Paris suburb of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. At the age of twelve Claude went to live with his uncle in Cairo, Egypt for nine months. Upon his return he began to focus more on music but still studied enough to pass the baccalauréat. He coined the stage name "MC Solaar" in his teens from his graffiti tags "SOAR" and "SOLAAR". ^[1] March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ...   City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région ÃŽle-de-France Département Paris (75) Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Mayor Bertrand Delanoë  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area... Villeneuve-Saint-Georges is a commune of the Val-de-Marne France. ... Cairos location in Egypt Coordinates: Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area    - City 210 km²  - Metro 1,492 km² Population    - City (2005) 7,438,376  - Density 35,420/km²  - Urban 10,834,495  - Metro 15,200,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3) Cairo (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), It comes... Lycée Henri IV in Paris is one of Frances most famous lycées, with a rate of success to baccalauréat usually above 99%. The baccalauréat (IPA: ), often known in France familiarly as the bac, is an academic degree which French students sit for at the end... A stage name, or a screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers (such as actors, athletes, comedians, porn stars, musicians, and clowns). ... Graffiti is the application of media on publicly viewable surfaces. ...

Career

MC Solaar went to Paris in the summer of 1990 with his friend Jimmy Jay in hopes of succeeding in the music industry. Success came quickly when his first single, "Bouge de là", ("Take a hike") became a hit in late 1990. The song went platinum in France and ascended to the number five spot on the national charts. After the success of Bouge de là Solaar went on to support the famous American rap group De La Soul when they performed at the Olympia in Paris in September 1991. At the close of 1991 Solaar released "Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo" which went on to sell over 400,000 copies in France. With the success of his debut album in France, the French rapper embarked upon extensive tours of Poland and Russia. In December 1992 he performed in twelve countries in West Africa, where his French rap style proved extremely popular with African music fans. ^[2] This article is about the year. ... De La Soul is a massively influential hip hop group, hailing from Long Island, New York. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is French rapper MC Solaars first album. ...

MC Solaar returned to the studio in 1994, recording Prose Combat. The album sold 100,000 copies in the first week of its release and became a best seller in 20 other countries. He was rewarded for his efforts when in February 95 he received an award for Best Male Singer of the Year at the 10th edition of the French "Victoires de la Musique" awards. Solaar went back to the studio in 1997 with longtime friend and producer Jimmy Jay to record his third album, Paradisiaque. The album was another success with led to an extensive European tour started On January 9th and 10th at the Zénith in Paris. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Prose Combat was the second studio album released by MC Solaar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paradisiaque was the third studio album released by MC Solaar in 1998. ... The Zenith (Le Zénith in French) is a famous concert hall in Paris. ...

Solaar's career continued to evolve throughout the late nineties and into the new millennium. He released Cinquième As in 2001 to critical acclaim and Mach 6 in 2003. Since the release of Mach 6 there has been no new studio albums but the rapper claims he has not retired. The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Track Listings 1. ...

MC Solaar gained new fans in North America in early 2004, when his 2001 song "La Belle Et Le Bad Boy" was featured on the final episode of the popular television series Sex and the City. MC Solaar remains best-known outside of France for his work on Guru's Jazzmatazz project and as a guest rapper on the Missy Elliott track "All N My Grill". Out of Guru and Solaar's collaboration, the single "Le Bien, Le Mal" (The Good, The Bad) was a popular Hip Hop/Dance crossover hit receiving playtime on MTV. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sex and the City was a popular American cable television program based on the book of the same name by Candace Bushnell. ... Name of jazz web site that lists upcoming jazz releases, as well as running capsule reviews of jazz CDs. ... Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott, is an American singer, MC, songwriter, and record producer born in Portsmouth, Virginia. ... The MTV logotype, often used in different, less stylized, forms. ...

MC Solaar also released a few songs which never appeared on albums, including "John Woo" and "Inch'Allah". Solaar has also appeared in many Japanese TV shows like Hum Tum.

Personal life

Solaar's personal life became media fodder starting in 1996 when he began dating Ophélie Winter. The couple split up in December of 2000. On December 7, 2003, MC Solaar married Chloé Bensemoun and on May 7, 2004, she gave birth to the couple’s first child, Roman. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ...

Beginning September 1, 1997, MC Solaar started fighting record label Vivendi from commercially exploiting his first three albums. In 2002 French courts sided with Solaar and the case was dismissed. September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ...

Discography

Album Cover	Date of Release	Title
	1991	Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo (He Who Sows The Wind Reaps the Rhythm)
	1994	Prose Combat (Fighting with Prose)
	1998	Paradisiaque (Paradise)
	1998	MC Solaar (Self-titled)
	1999	Le Tour de la Question (live double-album)
	2001	Cinquième As (Fifth Ace)
	2003	Mach 6 ( Mach Six)

Image File history File links Qui_sème_le_vent_récolte_le_tempo. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo is French rapper MC Solaars first album. ... Image File history File links Prosecombat. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Prose Combat was the second studio album released by MC Solaar. ... Image File history File links Paradisiaque. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Paradisiaque was the third studio album released by MC Solaar in 1998. ... Image File history File links MC_Solaar_Album. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The fourth MC Solaar album was a shorter, self-titled effort. ... Image File history File links LeTourdelaQuestion. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ... Le Tour de la Question was the first live album released by MC Solaar in 1999. ... Image File history File links Solaar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Image File history File links Mach6. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Track Listings 1. ... Mach number (Ma) (pronounced: mæk, mɑːk) is defined as a ratio of the speed of an object or flow relative to the speed of sound in the medium through which it is travelling: Vo/Vs where Vo is the speed of the object and Vs is the speed...

References and footnotes

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ...

External links

• (French) MC Solaar's official homepage
• MC Solaar Lyrics (French and English)
• MC Solaar Interview
• CNN interview with MC Solaar