The best and most popular French rapper, MC Solaar found success in America among fans of acid jazz and jazz-rap (if not the larger hip-hop community) after guesting on Guru's acclaimed Jazzmatazz project. His fluid phrasing makes up for his lack of English, and the production on his solo work (by DJ Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of La Funk Mob)... [+] Read More

The best and most popular French rapper, MC Solaar found success in America among fans of acid jazz and jazz-rap (if not the larger hip-hop community) after guesting on Guru's acclaimed Jazzmatazz project. His fluid phrasing makes up for his lack of English, and the production on his solo work (by DJ Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of La Funk Mob) surpasses that of most of his hip-hop contemporaries.

Born Claude M'Barali in Senegal, Solaar later moved to Paris and released his first single, "Bouge de La," in 1990. Two later tracks became French hits, prompting the release of his first album, Qui Seme le Vent Recolte le Tempo, in 1991. Introduced to the U.S. by way of two compilations (Tommy Boy's Planet Rap and Island's The Rebirth of Cool), MC Solaar recorded "Le Bien, Le Mal" for 1993's Jazzmatazz LP. His second album, Prose Combat, earned an American release on Cohiba by 1994. Paradisiaque followed in 1997, and Solaar returned a year later with a self-titled effort. La Tour de la Question appeared in 1999. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Japanese dance innovator DJ Honda has been crafting his funkadelic hip-hop slicing and dicing since his late teens, yearning to play up to American stylings of rock music. Such motivation led him to play guitar with the band Clique, but they didn't achieve the sort of stardom that DJ Honda was looking for. Instead, DJ Honda headed to the mixing... [+] Read More

Japanese dance innovator DJ Honda has been crafting his funkadelic hip-hop slicing and dicing since his late teens, yearning to play up to American stylings of rock music. Such motivation led him to play guitar with the band Clique, but they didn't achieve the sort of stardom that DJ Honda was looking for. Instead, DJ Honda headed to the mixing booth, which lead him to make friends with Afrika Bambaata and Universal Zulu Nation and earn major airplay on Tokyo radio stations. In the mid-'90s, he released a slew of singles while making international headway in the club/dance circuit, and made his debut with Out for the Cash in 1995. Hll followed three years later, showcasing collaborations with De La Soul and KRS-1. That same year brought a split between he and Sony Music, leaving DJ Honda to create his own label DJ Honda Recordings. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

After his high-profile duet with Guru on the first Jazzmatazz project, French rapper MC Solaar proved himself a major contender for international rap stardom with his U.S. debut. With the rapid-fire rhyme flow of Souls of Mischief and the smooth delivery of Q-Tip, the young MC conveys more moods in French than most rappers can in English. The... [+] Read More

After his high-profile duet with Guru on the first Jazzmatazz project, French rapper MC Solaar proved himself a major contender for international rap stardom with his U.S. debut. With the rapid-fire rhyme flow of Souls of Mischief and the smooth delivery of Q-Tip, the young MC conveys more moods in French than most rappers can in English. The extremely subtle grooves supplied by DJ/producer Jimmy Jay provide velvety smooth cushions that wrap around Solaar's warm voice tighter than O.J Simpson's glove, with jazzy, funky samples that prove perfectly suited for the fluid rhymes. One of the few bright spots in a year when the rap scene was largely devoid of originality, MC Solaar came across as refreshing as a cool Parisian breeze. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide [-] Hide

DJ Honda's eponymous album is a mix album, featuring the DJ's seamless remixes of cuts by Tha Alkaholiks, Grand Puba & Sadat X, Tariq, Redman, and Biz Markie, among several others. It's an excellent mix album -- not only are the beats and grooves continually danceable, it's possible to hear how inventive and talented DJ Honda is. ~ Leo Stanley,...

DJ Honda's eponymous album is a mix album, featuring the DJ's seamless remixes of cuts by Tha Alkaholiks, Grand Puba & Sadat X, Tariq, Redman, and Biz Markie, among several others. It's an excellent mix album -- not only are the beats and grooves continually danceable, it's possible to hear how inventive and talented DJ Honda is. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide [-] Hide