Soprano
Saïd M'Roubaba, better known to French rap fans as Soprano, was born in Marseilles, France, on January 14, 1979. As a youth, Saïd was fascinated with American R&B and hip-hop artists such as Michael Jackson and Kris Kross. Though a reluctant leader, it was not long before he formed a hip-hop crew of his own, with two members from his parents' native Comoros and the fourth from Morocco. M'Roubaba and friends became important players in the years when European hip-hop's foundation was being laid. He earned a reputation for a lyrical intuition and insight uncommon in the genre. The quartet capitalized on this image, choosing the name Psy 4 de la Rime (Four Psychiatrists of Rhyme).
M'Roubaba chose the MC name Soprano, enamored with American TV's Tony Soprano, especially for the character's psychiatric explorations. The group built up instantaneous recognition, with two records to its credit, Enfants de la Lune and Block Party, both of which went gold in a matter of weeks upon release. As often happens with successful hip-hop groups, one member finds himself singled out as having solo potential. Soprano was solicited by a number of labels offering to help him release a solo disc. He tested the waters with the 2006 mixtape Psychanalyse Avant l'Album. The record's positive reception and enthusiastic label support convinced the artist that the time was right for his debut studio album. Puisqu'il Faut Vivre was released in March 2007, immediately landing on Billboard's European Top 100 and hitting the number two spot in the French album charts.
While inspired by the obvious big names of U.S. hip-hop, Soprano was also influenced by West African music and by some of the more conscious names of French rap, such as Fonky Family. He aimed to present a more positive type of rap free of some of the more unsavory attitudes often associated with the genre. While a stopgap live album, Live au Dôme de Marseille, was released in 2008, he took his time with the studio follow-up, a dualistic concept double album, the first part of which, La Colombe ("The Dove"), did not drop until the end of 2010. The second part, Le Corbeau ("The Raven"), arrived a few months later. The albums did extremely well, both entering the top three; they were later combined and re-released as a double-CD package. Fans did not have to wait nearly so long for the next release, as the punningly titled E=2MCs, a collaboration with fellow rapper REDK, arrived in 2012.
© Evan C. Gutierrez & John D. Buchanan /TiVo
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E=2MC's
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 30 Apr 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cosmopolitanie (Cosmo Tour Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 13 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Psychanalyse
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Street Skillz on 3 Oct 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Si Baba
R&B - Released by Fulgu Prod - Bendo Music - Capitol on 2 Feb 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live au Dôme de Marseille (Live Marseille 2007)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 28 Mar 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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E.P. Live 2012 (Live 2011)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 17 Feb 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La patrie (feat. Says'z, Elams, Cheikh MC, Goulam, Vincenzo, Fahar, Starcé, Samra)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by A.S Recordz - ADA France on 9 Jul 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
C'est la vie (feat. Method Man)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 29 Aug 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pueto Pa la Avenida (feat. Vity Flow)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by iBellete Music on 27 May 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
S.O.S
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by 4131005 Records DK on 20 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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From The Heart
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by 4131005 Records DK on 16 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Luna Llena
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Elegant Records on 6 Aug 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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La Pelicula (feat. El Jefe Ortiz)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by iBellete Music on 27 May 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Know Some
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by 4131005 Records DK on 16 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -