IAM (band)
I AM | |
---|---|
IAM at the Fête de l'Humanité 2014 |
|
General information | |
origin | Marseille , France |
Genre (s) | French hip-hop , conscious rap |
founding | 1989 |
Website | www.iam.tm.fr |
Current occupation | |
Philippe "Akhenaton" Fragione | |
Eric "Khéops" Mazel | |
Geoffroy "Shurik'N" Mussard | |
Pascal "Imhotep" Perez | |
François "Kephren" Mendy | |
former members | |
Malek "Freeman" Brahimi (1989-2008) |
IAM are a French hip hop group from Marseille . Together with MC Solaar, they were the first commercially successful French rappers, but they remained deeply rooted in the scene. The band name stands for both the English expression I am and Imperial Asiatic Men ("Imperial Asian Men"), Indépendantistes Autonomes Marseillais ("Independent supporters of independence from Marseille") or Invasion Arrivant de Mars ("Invasion of Mars"; Mars is in their lyrics often a metaphor for Marseille).
The group's story begins in 1984 when Eric Mazel (Kheops) and Philippe Fragione (Akhenaton) breakdancing together as a Lively Crew . Until 1988/89, new members were added from their wider circle of friends until IAM existed in its current formation: Akhenaton (producer, MC), Imhotep (producer, DJ), Kheops (producer, DJ), Shurik'N (MC) and Kephren (Tour Manager).
Her first tape appeared in 1989, her first record, immediately on a major label, De La Planète Mars sold over 100,000 copies. The group members, who are of Algerian, Italian and Black African descent, played a style that was heavily influenced by music from the Middle East and Egypt. With their 1997 album L'École Du Micro D'Argent , they not only set a musical standard for French hip-hop that is still valid today, but also sold over a million copies.
Members
- Imhotep (also Kif-Kif, Tonton), bourgeois: Pascal Perez (born 1960 in Algiers ) is the musical architect of the group and creates the majority of the beats.
- Shurik'N (also Shurik'N Chang Ti, Jo l'Indien, le Serval), civil: Geoffroy Mussard, of Malagasy origin, was born in 1966 in Marseille . Next to Akhenaton, he is the group's second most important songwriter and rapper. As an avid martial artist he is very fond of the influences of the Far East. Its name Shurik'N means throwing star in Japanese . Shurik'N is also active as a solo artist under the same name.
- Akhenaton (also Chill, Sentenza), civil: Philippe Fragione, was born in 1968 in Marseille . He is the lead head of the group who reads most of the texts. Since 1995 he has been extremely successful in several solo projects and supports regional offspring such as the Fonky Family . He also worked as an actor in the film Comme Un Aimant , wrote the music with Bruno Coulais and also tried his hand at scriptwriting. Akhenaton converted to Islam a few years ago.
- Freeman (also Tuco, Malek Sultan), civil: Abdelmalek Brahimi, with roots in Algeria , was born in 1972 in Marseille . Active as a dancer in the early years of IAM, he began rapping lyrics with his fourth album Revoir Un Printemps at the latest . Freeman started his solo career in 1999 and has released three albums so far, L'Palais de justice , Mars eyes and L'espoir d'un (C) rêve ". In 2008 Freeman left the group IAM.
- Kheops (also Blondin), bourgeois: Eric Mazel, with Spanish roots, was born in 1966 in Marseille . He's the group's DJ.
- Kephren, bourgeois: François Mendy, of Senegalese origin, was born in Paris in 1968 . In the early years of the group he was the dancer, later he took over the management of the label Côté Obscur , where IAM recorded some CDs, and is now active as a tour manager for IAM.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FR | BE W | CH | |||
1991 | ... de la planète Mars |
FR-
gold
FR
|
- | - | |
1995 | Ombre est lumière |
FR195
platinum
(1 week)FR |
- | - |
Chart entry only in 2014
|
1997 | L'école du micro d'argent |
FR3
diamond
(209 weeks)FR |
BE W5 (... weeks) BE W |
CH-
platinum
CH
|
ten additional songs on the limited CD
|
2003 | Revoir un printemps |
FR1 × 2
(35 weeks)FR |
BE W1 (17 weeks) BE W |
CH2
gold
(9 weeks)CH |
three additional songs and two instrumentals on the limited CD
|
2005 | Live au Dôme de Marseille |
FR97 (6 weeks) FR |
BE W63 (3 weeks) BE W |
- |
Live album
|
2007 | Season 5 |
FR2
gold
(29 weeks)FR |
BE W4 (20 weeks) BE W |
CH15th
gold
(10 weeks)CH |
|
2008 | IAM 20 | - |
BE W96 (1 week) BE W |
- | |
2009 | Galaxy | - |
BE W84 (3 weeks) BE W |
- | |
2013 | Arts Martiens |
FR1
gold
(29 weeks)FR |
BE W4 (36 weeks) BE W |
CH4 (14 weeks) CH |
|
I AM |
FR10 (15 weeks) FR |
BE W25 (21 weeks) BE W |
CH25 (4 weeks) CH |
||
2017 | Revolution |
FR3
gold
(29 weeks)FR |
BE W3 (28 weeks) BE W |
CH5 (8 weeks) CH |
|
2019 | Yasuke |
FR8 (16 weeks) FR |
BE W19 (12 weeks) BE W |
CH12 (4 weeks) CH |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
More albums
- 1990: Concept (cassette)
- 1993: Ombre est lumière (double album)
Compilations
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FR | BE W | CH | |||
2004 | Anthology (1991-2004) |
FR-
gold
FR
|
BE W31 (14 weeks) BE W |
CH43 (8 weeks) CH |
|
2013 | Best Of 2013 - 16 classiques |
FR73 (2 weeks) FR |
BE W51 (11 weeks) BE W |
- | |
L'école du micro d'argent 2013 |
FR45 (51 weeks) FR |
- | - |
More albums
- 2006: IAM Platinum
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FR | BE W | CH | |||
1994 | Je danse le mia ombre est lumière |
FR1
gold
(40 weeks)FR |
- | - | |
Le feu ombre est lumière |
FR17 (10 weeks) FR |
- | - | ||
1995 | Une femme seule / Sachet blanc Ombre est lumière |
FR30 (7 weeks) FR |
- | - | |
1997 | L'empire du côté obscur L'école du micro d'argent |
FR14th
gold
(17 weeks)FR |
BE W31 (5 weeks) BE W |
- | |
Nés sous la même étoile L'école du micro d'argent |
FR41 (4 weeks) FR |
BE W38 (1 week) BE W |
- | ||
1998 | Petit frère L'école du micro d'argent |
FR50 (11 weeks) FR |
- | - | |
L'école du micro d'argent L'école du micro d'argent |
FR84 (7 weeks) FR |
- | - | ||
Independenza |
FR19 (25 weeks) FR |
BE W18 (8 weeks) BE W |
- | ||
2003 | Noble Art Revoir un printemps |
FR34 (17 weeks) FR |
- |
CH81 (4 weeks) CH |
feat. Method Man & Redman
|
2004 | Revoir un printemps Revoir un printemps |
FR58 (6 weeks) FR |
- | - | |
Nous Revoir un printemps |
- | - |
CH94 (1 week) CH |
feat. Kayna Samet
|
|
Stratégie d'un pion Revoir un printemps |
FR69 (7 weeks) FR |
- | - | ||
2005 | Où va la vie? |
FR24 (17 weeks) FR |
- |
CH68 (4 weeks) CH |
feat. Moïse
|
2013 | Les raisons de la colère Arts Martiens |
FR77 (4 weeks) FR |
- | - | |
Spartiate Spirit Arts Martiens |
FR184 (1 week) FR |
- | - | ||
CQFD IAM |
FR107 (2 weeks) FR |
- | - | ||
2017 | IAM 2017 |
FR87 (1 week) FR |
- | - | |
Monnaie de singe Rêvolution |
FR47 (2 weeks) FR |
- | - | ||
2019 | Self Made Men Yasuke |
FR199 (1 week) FR |
- | - |
feat. Psy 4 de la rime
|
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
Video albums
- 2002: Live Au Dock Des Suds - Marseille (Live concert recordings by Akhenaton, Chiens De Paille, Psy 4 De La Rime and others)
- 2004: Stratégie Tour - Live Au Dôme Marseille (FR:× 2Double platinum )
- 2004: Au Cœur D'IAM - Genèse d'un Album ( description of the development of the new album "Revoir Un Printemps") (FR:gold)
literature
- Daniel Tödt: From the planet Mars. Rap in Marseille and the imaginary of the city . Lit Verlag, Vienna 2012. ISBN 978-3-643-50360-2 .
swell
Web links
- Official Homepage (French)
- Interview with Akhenaton about "Soldats de Fortune"
- IAM at Discogs (English)