Rap Your Way To French Fluency With French Hip Hop

Claude Debussy once said that “Music is the expression of the movement of the waters, the play of curves described by the changing breezes.” Sounds beautiful doesn’t it?

The thing about music is that it can really transport you to a place you’ve never been before. Additionally, listening to music reduces stress by helping regulate your cortisol levels. If you want, you can even sing along like no one’s watching!

Hip hop music was created among the Black, Latino, and Caribbean communities of New York in the 1970s. Since then, French Hip hop has become the second-largest market in the world. The history of the genre goes back to the 70s and 80s, with MC Solaar emerging as its first major artist.

Now, French Hip hop can be defined by two main subcategories: Hip hop from the north and Hip hop from the south. North-side rap often discusses ghetto life and the drug trade, whereas Southern rap emphasizes the fight against discrimination. Truly, French Hip hop is defined by the stories of the artists and their experiences.

Mode Avion by Favé

Favé’s snappy song is about being on airplane mode (mode avion), which is another way of saying he cannot be reached.

Pour moi, c'est mort, j'ai plus d'amour
(For me it's dead, I have no more love)

By by Gaël Faye

In this rap, Faye talks about living in an oppressive system. He references figures like Malick Sidibé and Baye Fall.

On est tous à zoner, assommés
(We're all zoned out, knocked out)

Thé à la menthe by La Caution

If you’ve seen Ocean’s Twelve, you know this banger. It discusses growing up as an Arab in the suburbs of Paris, dealing with racism, and finding comfort in family and mint tea.

La recette : sampler, stylo et thé à la menthe
(The recipe: sampler, pen and mint tea)