MC Solaar Background information Birth name Claude M'Barali Born 1969-03-05 5 March 1969 age 49 , Origin , Genres , Years active 1990—2018 Labels , MC Solaar is known for his complex lyrics, which rely on , lyricism, and inquiry. In the , Solaar was signed by -based record label and recorded with British group and the late rapper , who was a member of the critically acclaimed New York-based rap group. Solaar has since released eight studio albums and one live album. Early life Claude M'Barali was born in , to parents from. When he was six months old, his parents emigrated to France where they settled in the Parisian suburbs; initially in , subsequently Maisons-Alfort and finally. When he was twelve, he went to live with an uncle in for nine months where he discovered the and became fascinated with the rapping styles of. Upon his return to France, he passed the. It has been said that his constant support from his mother was one of the reasons that he was able to pass the baccalauréat and still make music. MC Solaar describes his early influences before a London gig in 2011, to radio producer Pete Shevlin. He studied languages at the and was a postgraduate in Philosophy. He released his first single in 1990. MC Solaar went to Paris in the summer of 1991 with his friend Jimmy Jay in hopes of succeeding in the music industry. Many rappers who came out of Africa at the time spoke a lot about slavery and other topics in order to bring the history of their people into light. Nevertheless, the song went platinum in France and reached 5 on the national charts. At the close of 1991, Solaar released which went on to sell over 400,000 copies in France. With the success of his debut album in France, Solaar embarked upon extensive tours of and. In December 1992, he performed in twelve countries across West Africa, where his French rap style proved extremely popular with fans. MC Solaar released in 1994. It sold 100,000 copies in the first week of being released and became a bestseller in 20 other countries. Also in 1994, MC Solaar appeared on the 's compilation album,. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the epidemic in relation to the community, was heralded as Album of the Year by. Solaar returned to the studio in 1997 with longtime friend and producer Jimmy Jay to record his third album,. The album was another success, which led to an extensive European tour starting on 9 January 1998 at the in Paris. His talents led to international interest from places such as , all the way to and the not long after. Early in Solaar's career, it was important for him to share the struggles and the different hardships for Black people that had emigrated to France and tried to make a better life. Most of his music was dedicated to enlightening the population of a specific deeper message that connected to him in his life. It's much easier if you have the music, the rhythm, but I am fast. Do you never write before the music? I used to, he admits. But when I met the music, I changed. He released in 2001, to critical acclaim and in 2003. The concert he presents is a show with DJs and dancers as the hip-hop dancer which overpasses the musical frame. The cover of Cinquieme As depicts Solaar topless, and draws comparisons to captives about to be taken onto a. However, a look at the inside cover reveals Solaar to be in a wrestler's costume, along with the other men in the picture. Solaar recognises and pays tribute to the African presence in France by using boxing and wrestling references. Senegalese boxer is referenced in the album's booklet. Although Siki won the light heavyweight boxing championship in 1922, he still faced racism from journalists. The album was released on 18 June 2007. His collaboration with her propelled him to higher popularity in the U. American rapper admitted he prefers MC Solaar to the well-known American rapper. He has criticised people for downloading songs illegally and producing altered versions of his albums Mach 6 and Chapitre 7. Archived from on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2006. Archived from on 26 October 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2006. Lemelle, London; Ann Arbor, Michigan: Pluto Press, 2006. Archived from on 30 October 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
