HR, strength and blood – RFI Music

Young French rapper from Congo, SDM, recently released his second album titled Links from 100. An opportunity for us to find out about the careers of men signed to 92i, Booba’s label.

French rap has mutated since its inception, more than thirty years ago. A new generation has imposed itself, with other concerns related to their time: where pioneers preached (often in the media desert) an antifa, humanist and rebellious gospel, the rappers of the 20s approached their art differently, with texts that more open to finance. a concern and music that is not afraid to target the general public.

But the biggest difference between the pioneers of the genre and their descendants is that the battle started by NTM, Ministère Ämer, IAM or MC Solaar has been won. French rap HAS become the most popular music in terms of flow and concert attendance. “Of course it’s a competition!”admit without the wooden language of SDM on the microphone of the emission of Mehdi Maizi Code. “Unfair : ‘We are here, we are all friends’. Me, I took it in the discussion outside, who spoke, ‘He killed her’ So I’m in fashion ‘Who wants to be king?’“

SDM is the archetype of this new era, a young 27-year-old artist from Clamart in a suburb of Paris who has no intention of apologizing for being there. After his indie debut under the nickname Sadam (soon to be shortened to SDM), he’s had a meteoric rise since his signing in early 2020 on Booba’s label, 92i.

One year later, Ochohis first album, set the scene: brutal rhymes “Calibrated we went to their place, now their place is our place” (in title Rihanna), heavyweight impressions (Booba on Father and AreaFally Ipupa on Veto power), verbal abuse (Looking for) but also self-critical (“I messed up, I left school early” in the Cello) and raw emotions (“Mom don’t worry, no one will kick us out” in the Rely on me).

one gold (Jack Fuego PLK feat, which triggers the signature on the 92i), features at Have a nice day (a powerful title from Booba’s tenth and final album ultra) and the Stade de France stage with B2O and here’s always a difficult second album, Links from 100, a year after ten unreleased first album re-releases. 100 – 8 (“Ocho” in Spanish, his favorite gimmick), or 92, a story about numbers and letters.

The album opens with a nod to Aznavour yesterday again* : “Yesterday I turned 20, I played life as a game of love / Brolique loaded in hand, I’ll dance with the grim reaper”. As is so often the case on hardcore rap albums, the emotional sequence relegates to the end of the track list, but remains real and powerful. On We boththe 17th and final title from the album, HR evokes the absence of the father (untimely deceased), addresses an unnamed speaker (his mother, one guesses) and reveals a sensitivity which at times helps to be hidden by his crass language.

Now that the ratings are on the rise, the door to prestige is opening: we’re about to hear SDM on the track from Aya Nakamura’s new album, DNK. The title of the duet? Fatherdo not be confused with Father in feat with Booba. “I really like what he does, he’s the boss, how are you going to say no to him?” commented SDM on Diigymediatv. “He’s good at rapping, he sings… I really like it when he makes melodies! He’s Congolese, Congolese are singers” added Aya, invited to the same set.

SDM is definitely one of today’s rappers who could have had a long and rich career, a challenge in a world where the public has too often tossed around artists like Kleenex after briefly admiring them. The future will tell, but in the meantime, Links from 100 is proof that French rap can be strong and even moving without having to recycle rancid tubes from the eighties and without providing variety. “Watch the sky, it’s coming from below” !

*The title has been removed from the streaming platform at the request of Charles Aznavour’s family

HR Links from 100 (92i/DPR Music) 2022
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