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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L'Everest (Deluxe Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 14 Oct 2016
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Je suis fou
Vianney, Kendji Girac, Soprano
French Music - Released by Tôt Ou Tard on 9 Nov 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cosmopolitanie (Deluxe Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 13 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Chasseur d’étoiles : Multiverse Edition
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 25 Nov 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Un peu plus près du Stade de France (Live au Stade de France, 2023)
French Music - Released by Rec. 118 on 3 Nov 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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La colombe et le corbeau
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone France on 16 Mar 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Victory
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 22 Aug 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
L'Everest (Deluxe Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 14 Oct 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puisqu'il faut vivre (Deluxe Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 17 Feb 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La colombe et le corbeau
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 16 Mar 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chasseur d'étoiles (Stadium Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 3 Sep 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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L'Everest - Live à l'Orange Vélodrome (Live)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Rec. 118 on 29 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Vida
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Universal Music Division Capitol Music France on 17 Apr 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Fais le Moonwalk (Double Face 2015)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Parlophone (France) on 22 Jun 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo