French hip hop

French hip hop is the hip hop music style which was developed in French-speaking countries. Its popularity was primarily due to the presence of a large African and Caribbean community in France, and has established the second largest hip hop market in the world after the American hip hop scene.

Many of the French hip hop artists come from the poor urban areas on the outskirts of large cities known as banlieues ("suburbs"). Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nantes, Lille, Strasbourg, Rennes, Caen, Le Havre, Rouen, Toulouse, Grenoble and Nice have produced various French hip hop artists. The political and social status of the minority groups living in France have a direct influence on French hip hop. Many French rappers are products of the HLM rent-controlled housing and draw upon their upbringing in this environment as a source of inspiration for their lyrics.

History

Beginning of French hip hop: the 70s and 80s

Hip hop first appeared in France in 1979, just as the genre was witnessing its first commercial recordings in the United States. In the beginning it was the American rap artists who dominated the hip hop scene in France. In many cases, French hip hop in the 21st century is still heavily influenced by the rap scene in the United States.