Never discount the educational value of “Sex In The City”. It’s where I first became aware of french rap, specifically a rapper by the name of MC Solaar. “La Belle et Le Bad Boy” (The beauty and the bad boy) is the seventh song on the 2001 album Cinquième, and it was featured on the final episode of the show in 2004. I had to find out more about the artist and his origin.

MC Solaar, born Claude M’Barali, March 5, 1969, is a francophone hip hop and rap artist. He is one of the most internationally popular and influential hip hop artists. MC Solaar is known for his complex lyrics, which rely on word play, lyricism, and inquiry. In the English-speaking world, Solaar was signed by London acid jazz label Talkin’ Loud and recorded with British group Urban Species and the late Guru, member of the acclaimed New York duo Gang Starr.

M’Barali was born in Dakar, Senegal to parents from Chad. When he was six months old, due to the political troubles in Senegal, his parents emigrated to France where they settled in the Parisian suburbs; initially in Saint-Denis, subsequently Maisons-Alfort and finally Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. At twelve he went to live with an uncle in Cairo, Egypt for nine months where he discovered the Zulu Nation and became fascinated with the rapping styles of Afrika Bambaataa. He coined the stage name MC Solaar in his teens from his graffiti tags “SOAR” and “SOLAAR”. Credit: Wikipedia