SDM, power and blood – RFI Musique

SDM, a young French rapper of Congolese descent, recently released his second album, titled 100 links. An opportunity for us to find out about the career of the person signed to 92i with the label Booba.

French rap has mutated since its inception more than three decades ago. The new generation imposed itself with other concerns of their time: where the pioneers preached (often in the media desert) antifa, humanist and rebellious gospel, the rappers of the 20s approach their art differently, their texts are more open to finance. music that isn’t afraid to target concerns and the general public.

But the biggest difference between the pioneers of the genre and their descendants is whether the fight started by NTM, Ministère Ämer, IAM or MC Solaar was won. French rap has become the most popular music in terms of streams and concert attendance. “Of course it’s a race!”Mehdi Maizi admits to the microphone of the SDM broadcast without tongue Code. “It’s not fair: “We’re here, we’re all friends”. I, I understood it in discussions, it speaks, ‘He killed her’ So I’m in mode “Who wants to be king?”“

SDM is the archetype of this new age, a young 27-year-old artist from Clamart in the Paris suburbs who is not going to apologize for being there. After his indie debut under the moniker Sadam (soon shortened to SDM), he experienced a meteoric rise after signing to Booba’s 92i label in early 2020.

A year later, Ochohis debut album sets the stage: brutal rhymes “We go to their place with Caliber, now their place is our place” (in the title Rihanna), heavyweight features (Booba on father and AreaFally Ipupa ten Right of veto), verbal abuse (In search) but also self-critical (“I was dropping out, I left school early” in Cello) and raw emotion (“Mom, don’t worry, no one will chase us away” in Trust me).

golden single (Jack Fuego feat PLK) that caused the signature in 92i), a feature Have a nice day (The powerful title of Booba’s tenth and final album Ultra) and performing with B2O on stage at the Stade de France, and here comes the ever-challenging second album, 100 links, a year after ten unreleased reissues of the first album. 100 – 8 (“Ocho” in Spanish, his favorite trick) or 92, is a story of numbers as much as letters.

The album starts with Aznavour yesterday again* : “Yesterday I was 20 years old, I was playing life like one plays love / Loaded in Brolik’s hands, I was going to dance with the angel of death”. As is often the case with hard rap albums, the emotional sequence falls towards the end of the tracklist, but is nevertheless real and powerful. Active We are twoThe album’s 17th and final title, SDM , evokes the absence of a father (who died prematurely), addresses an unnamed speaker (his mother, one presumes), and reveals a vulnerability that the sloppiness of its language sometimes helps to hide.

Now her rating is rising, the doors of prestigious success are opening: we will hear SDM on a track from Aya Nakamura’s new album. DNA. The duo’s name? fathernot to be confused with father Booba feat. “I like what he’s doing, he’s the boss, how can you say no to him?” SDM commented on Diigymediatv. “He can rap, he can sing… I like the way he sings! He’s Congolese, Congolese singers.” added Aya, who was invited to the same set.

SDM is clearly one of today’s rappers who could have a long and rich career, a challenge in a world where the public often discards artists like Kleenex after briefly adoring them. The future will tell, but in the meantime 100 links It’s proof that French rap can be strong and even moving without recycling old pipe from the eighties and pushing for diversity. “Watch the sky more, it comes from below” !

*The title has since been removed from streaming platforms at the request of Charles Aznavour’s family

SDM 100 links (92i/Capitol Music) 2022
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