Paris and Marseille are the New York and Los Angeles of French rap. The capital is where it began in the 1980s, an origin story entertainingly recounted in the recent Netflix series Reign Supreme — a biopic about the formation of pioneering hip-hop group Suprême NTM in the notoriously tough Paris banlieue of Seine-Saint-Denis.
Marseille emerged as the main rival to the Île de France powerhouse in the 1990s. A north-south rivalry developed, a less violent analogue to the deadly competition between US east and west coasts. Unlike the US, however, where other regions have since become rap centres, the two cities remain the twin poles of French hip-hop. Among the biggest rap hits of recent years, spending 12 weeks at number one in 2020, was “Bande organisée” by a supergroup of rappers from the Mediterranean port. “C’est Marseille, bébé,” one of their number, SCH, rapped at the beginning amid a fusillade of boasts about drug-dealing and fast cars.
SCH’s gangster persona reflects Marseille’s reputation as a hotspot of organised crime. Real name Julien Schwarzer, he has honed his rap character over the course of several chart-topping albums. His latest record, Autobahn, is classified as a mixtape. Its title echoes his debut release, 2015’s A7, which was named after the autoroute leading to his home city. (It also nods to German ancestry, via his truck driver father.)
Opening track “Magnum” finds him roaring down the motorway in a Techart Magnum luxury car with a .44 Magnum gun. His rapping is pacy but unflustered, like an action hero facing down overwhelming odds. The track has a bass pattern borrowed from UK drill and a sinister cello motif. The song doesn’t really develop — its wheels spin on the spot — but it has a strong sense of atmosphere.
“LIF” is a throwback to the singsong menace of 1990s west coast gangsta rap. The title track floors the pedal to a more modern sound with a rapid grime-style beat, deftly negotiated by SCH. Lower gears bring out a drearier side to him. “Coeur de môme” is a lugubriously gothic number about street life and lost innocence. References to stony hearts and fearlessness pile up, along with nods to fictional gangsters such as Tony Soprano. These fantasy figures are apt comparisons: Schwarzer plays the part of SCH in the style of an actor, not a real product of Marseille’s mean streets. It’s a limited role, but he does it well.
★★★☆☆
‘Autobahn’ is released by Warner Music France
