FROM DA BRICKS

We’re going continental here at FDB again. ‘Paris Sous Les Bombes’ is categorically one of the best albums to emerge from the French scene and is the product of another of the country’s extremely successful hip hop outfits. Made up of MCs Kool Shen and Joey Starr and a range of different producers, Supreme NTM are an unabashedly hardcore group that is suggested by their name itself: ‘NTM’ stands for ‘nique ta mere’ which translates as ‘fuck your mum’. I’m not sure what message this sends out to the people buying their records, but it is a signifier of the fact that these Parisian boys mean business and do not intend to cover up their often brutal message.

Formed in 1989 and with six albums now under their belts, the group have had serious success in their homeland with their latest effort approaching platinum status. The lyrical content revolves heavily around the group’s feelings towards the police which are resoundingly negative, the violence of life on the streets and their various battles with the French authorities. They represent the voice of a disempowered and angry French youth who have lost all faith in the system and aren’t afraid to shout about it. I have always felt that the French language was well suited to rapping, and despite the odd transgression into shouting and ranting, the MCs have a smooth delivery that can be enjoyed despite the language barrier. The album also features a remix of ‘Affirmative Action’ off Nas’ ‘It Was Written…’ LP which sees the French boys hook up wih The Firm crew. The beat remains the same, but the presence of the Supreme NTM MCs puts a nice spin on the track.

The production is also solid, featuring many samples and drum breaks that you may recognise from American joints. This is not to say that the beats are simply lifted from their US counterparts: the samples are flipped with originality and flava. My favourite cut is ‘Tout N’est Pas Si Facile’ which is a serious head nodder with sweeping strings and a beautiful sax loop. Generally speaking the beats have a classic mid-’90s feel with heavy drums and funky samples laid over the top. Gotta love that.

Let me try and draw an analogy here with another French artist already featured on FDB with the use of something typically continental: coffee. If MC Solaar is a cafe au lait in a tall glass drunk in a cafe overlooking the Palace of Versailles, Supreme NTM are a triple espresso drunk from a short and stumpy mug in the roughest parts of the nation’s capital. Solaar is smooth, warm and fluid with a well rounded and subtle flavour. Supreme NTM are a thick, syrupy, caffeine-laden brew that will blow your head off. Both have their place in the wide spectrum of hip hop and both outfits demonstrate the quality of rap music in France, with neither being more valuable than the other. Peep it and enjoy.

There is at times a tendency within hip hop circles to hold up a little known underground gem and to label it ‘classic material’. I can’t help but feel that this is sometimes misplaced and occurs due to the deterioration of the genre in recent times and the subsequent searching for quality music from the past. This can push objectivity to one side. Having said this, albums can live up to the hype. Although I am not 100% convinced that ‘The Natural’ necessarily warrants the ‘classic material’ tag, I believe that it is as close as some of these sort of albums can come.

First up is the production. With Buckwild and Da Beatminerz on the boards and the year being ’95, you can be pretty sure that the beats will be on point. They don’t disappoint. ‘Masta I.C.’ is a beautifully put together cut with some tasty sleighbells; ‘Time To Build’ is aggressive and extremely hard-hitting and ‘Sharane’ has an excellent opening 16 or so bars which build the beat up subtly and with a serious head noddy vibe. Some of the beats lack that quality that gives you that warm mushy feeling inside, but generally the production is flawless.

The rhymes ain’t bad either. Mic Geronimo isn’t the most intelligent or charismatic of MCs, but he has a nice flow that works well with the beats. There are also some very well delivered guest spots. ‘Time To Build’ is strong vocally throughout, but the Jay Z verse is a pleasing early glimpse at the man who has had such success in the commercial market. I’m not sure who features on the fourth verse of this particular cut, but it is one of the roughest, grittiest verses that I have ever heard. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you are in the mood it is truly sensational.

However, like so many albums of the era it could be said that there is something indefinable missing here. Nothing substantial, but something that stops it reaching the heights of the true classics of the era like ‘Illmatic’. As I have said before, the difference is not definable in discussion… but there is a difference. Don’t let this put you off: this is a quality album that you will come back to on repeated occasions, and some of the highlights are excellent examples of the strength of the genre at this stage in its development.