Customer Reviews

Prose Combat

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album can be appreciated on many levels. Students or native speakers of French will enjoy the humour and political commentary found in the lyrics, fans of jazz-rap will enjoy the synergy between the two genres found in the beats and fans of good hip-hop will simply enjoy listening to Claude "MC Solaar" M'Barali's flow.

The lyrics of the album deal with some of the same topics that an American hip-hop album would deal with, however, they seem to go deeper into the topic. The first cut "Obsolete" features Solaar rapping about how times have changed in his former homeland of Senegal, while "Superstarr" sees him musing on a friend who achieved superstar status while not having any skills. There are also some quite confrontational tracks "Concubine D'lehemoglobine" deals with the oppresive nature of war and "La Fin Justifie Les Moyens" is an exploration of the idea that the end justifies the means.

The beats are roughly the same as any other jazz-rap record, samples from 50s jazz albums and so on, but they appear much more laid back when coupled with the French language. "Concubine", for example, features the sound of the ocean for the opening 30 seconds before Solaar comes in very calmly with the opening words.

Solaar's flow is really what carries this album in my opinion. He has a clipped, precise delivery which can go on for up to 30 seconds acapella without sounding forced. Depending on the subject matter of the track, he can be both calm and laid back or confrontational - sometimes the delivery would appear on first listen to be the wrong one for the subject matter, later listens will reveal this to be a very clever effect.

Standout tracks would probably have to be "Obsolete", "La Fin", "Prose Combat", "Superstarr" and "Temps Mort" however the entire album is superb. Of particular note is track 9 which is a freestyle featuring a who's who of French rap.

The freestyle, as with the rest of the album, works on two levels. It can be appreciated purely for the considerable abilities of the MCs involved - especially when dealing with the French language. It can also be taken as suggestions of "if you enjoyed this album, here are some others you should try". The freestyle features such stars as Menelik, Soon E MC, Les Sages Poetes De La Rue and many others, all of whom are worth checking out solo (most of their albums can be found here as well).

There is no real reason why not to buy this album, whether you speak French, learn it, enoy the culture or just appreciate good hip-hop with fresh ideas and great skills - you will enjoy this one.

This is probably the best french rap disc ever recorded. The disc originally came out in 1994 which was probably one of the peak years for worldwide rap prodiction in terms of quality. This is the best album MC Solaar has ever recorded. If you like Dubmatique, French Affair, or numerous other groups in the past and present Quebec mainstream, you will love this one. Obsolete and Relations Humaines are especially good. This is one of the few CD's I've ever purchased in which every song on the disc is quality. I would recommend it to anyone. Even if you are not fluent in French you will be enhanced by the rythms.

disregard the 1 star ratings as they are probably 1 star folk. heard this superb album the first time back in the good ole days of 1994 and still love it. all tracks good, some tracks are great. i still wonder why such talent can't make a spot on the charts here.

john in ny

As I was playing this cd "whilst" ;-) visiting Salt Lake City, a friend of mine said "Nick, you wouldn't like this cd so much if it were in english - it would be just another 'rapper.'" The simple fact remains, however, that it *is* in french, undeniably so, and as with all poetry the ear can usually detect a successful work of art, which this is - regardless of whether I understand the meaning. The fact that it is a beautiful album is constantly supported by the thoughtful intelligence with which it was constructed - obvious to any close listening. Even if, like my dad, you dislike "rap," I suggest you might enjoy what I would prefer to call musical poetry. Try it out.

This CD by MC Solaar, which I discovered accidentally, is my favourite rap album ever made. The poetry in rap is definitely more intelligent than that of most American rap artists. If you take the time to understand it, you too will be impressed by the beauty of French rap. MC Solaar is, in my opinion, the greatest French rap artist and was copied many times.

I am in my fourth year of French in High School, and my teacher started playing some french rap because he knew it would be interesting to us if it was rap and had a good beat... he was right, I fell in love with Solaar's music right away. Not only does it help me to learn the language more fluently, but I truly enjoy listening to it. I'm begging my mom to buy me all of his CD's :)

I've been playing this tape in my car since 1994 and I'm not tired of it...J'aime plein de rapper mais celui que je prefere Solaar Mc Solaar directe de la terre. j'ai vu des types se battre pour le titre des champions D'Ameriques des Freaks, je suis D'Afrique...I never thought anyone could flow like the way Solaar does in French comme le caramel sur un flandisse...I want to see Solaar and Wyclef get together and do something out of this world...The lyrics are beyond this galaxy. I was blown away when I first heard Caroline...le prose combat took me even Farther...It's ashame that this genius is not well known in the states...To all Mc Solaar fans around the globe you can E-mail me any time.

This is one incredible recording from an amazing talent. The beat is perfect, and this is simply the most elegant rapping in existence. Makes me want to learn the French language.

"Prose Combat" is the best of MC Solaar's first three albums. More mature than "Qui seme le vent recolte le tempo" and more biting in its commentary than "Paradisiaque", this album continuously surprises me with its beauty and staying power (I have played it so much that my roomates have threatened to steal it). From the playful Prose Combat and L'NMIACCd'HTCK72KPDP, to the bittersweet Sequelles, each track has its own story to tell. Devotion haunts me with its story of les exclus fighting to be heard. Superstarr and Temps Morts are hilarious responses to Solaar's then new found success Nouveau Western is a fantastic trip in time and space as well as being (along with Obsolete) an insightful critique of American cultural imperialism and the the new global economy. Quite simply it is one of the best songs I have ever heard, regardless of language or genre. While all the tracks on all three of his albums are of exceptional quality (Caroline, Victime de la Mode, Zoom , Gangster Moderne, just to name a few), Prose Combat retains a stylistic and, with the possible exception of L'NMIACCd'HTCK72KPDP, musical unity that is hard to achieve. "Prose Combat" reminds me, believe it or not, of films such as "Mama, il ya un monsieur dans ton lit" and "Cafe au lait". I can't wait to hear his new album.

MC Solaar's Prose Combat is definitely a worthy collection for any one who can identify beautiful beats when they hear one.Even though i don't hear a word of french, the beats on this album are really very tight and i was feeling it.
A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BUY