Personnel: MC Solaar, Derin Young, Kiwi, Sinclair (vocals), Laurent Vernerey (bass), Jimmy Jay (samples, scratches), Boom Bass, Sages Poetes De La Rue (programming), DJ Logistic (scratches).
Recorded at Studio Plus XXX, Paris. Includes liner notes by Fab Five Freddy.
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 minimize