By the early 1980s, French Radio had begun to evolve, and a handful of Hip-Hop shows were created. Most prominent among these were "Rapper Dapper" by Sidney Duteil, and "Funk à Billy" by DJ Dee Nasty. The New York City Rap Tour traveled across France and London in November 1982 featuring Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmixer DST, Fab 5 Freddy, Mr. Freeze and the Rock Steady Crew.
The jewel in the French Hip-Hop Crown was MC Solaar. Born in Dakar, Senegal, Claude M’Barali came to France as a Child in 1970, and settled in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. His 1991 album "Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo" was a smash hit. The European Music Office on Music in Europe noted that the French language was ideal for rap. MC Solaar was the first French hip hop artist to achieve platinum status. Some musicians say he was inspired by the music of the French singer Renaud.
After MC Solaar’s popularity, French Hip-Hop split into two dominant forms. 1- Solaar, Dee Nasty and Lionel D encouraged a gentler, less brooding approach, and 2- hardcore artists such as Ministere A.M.E.R, Assassin and Suprême NTM chose to be aggressive.
This change of emphasis drew intense criticism because lyrics appeared to glorify assault on the police and other crimes, much as violence was decried in US gangsta rap. Typical scandals were Ministère AMER’s "Sacrifice de poulet" ( "Chicken Sacrifice" in french the police is compare to chicken ) , NTM’s "Police", and Lunatic’s "Le crime paie".
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