Yo La La!

Just a message to tell you to check out my final "Guess The Sample" French rap quizz featured in Coverville episode 612 at http://www.coverville.com . .

The very last Yo La La! does not even feature real French rap, but rather a six degrees of sampling history lesson. Thank you to everyone who listened to the podcast and au revoir. .

Not a ska special, but tracks featuring crazy lyrics delivered with insane flows over mad instrumentals. International guest tracks are from Germany, the USA and the UK. .

Guitars are back, whether as samples or actual band members.

3 years after the first Love Show, a selection of tracks about the dark side of love: dangerous love interests, being blown off, routine and breakups. With German guest track of the month by Fettes Brot.

A show featuring every possible combination between French and German artists, entirely prepared by German Yo La La! listener Philip - mad props to him! Check out his excellent links on yolala.org.

Belated showcase of some of Switzerland's local talent, in all their multi-lingual glory, thanks to real Swiss dude Lucien (no relation). Sorry for the weird sound quality!

A special on religion in French hip-hop, from religious questions to prayers to religious critique to full-blown atheism.

A special on the youngest member of ATK, who died recently in a motorcycle accident. Rest in peace, Fredy, and thank you for everything you've done for French hip-hop. Sinceres condoleances a la famille et aux amis.

A special on French-American collaborations in hip-hop.

Explanations and rough translations of the tracks I picked for my guest DJ mix at http://www.xlr8r.com/topstories/2007/10/podcast_french_hiphop.php

No Booba show but some very big news, as well as a teaser for what's gonna happen in ten days.

French rappers cover political songs and Nas re-uses a classic French hip-hop instrumental.

A Franco-French view on Quebecois rap. Funny tracks and serious tracks, with special thanks to Queen Zombie, Brian Ibbott and Cedric.

Part 2 of the gangsta/ghetto/street rap show, featuring rappers from the 94 area (with an intro by Kennedy himself!, various other areas and members of the Mafia K'1Fry crew.

Following a discussion on the forum with a Yo La La! listener, here's a special on French gangsta/ghetto/street rap, or "rap de rue" as we call it. Many thanks to Erwan for providing the tracklisting and info about the artists (old school, Booba and rappers from the 93 area). This show also features a short interview with J-Flexx. Not only will you learn more about the man behind such famous lyrics as California Love, Natural Born Killaz, Keep Their Heads Ringing but he also comments on French gangsta rap. Check out his solo album, Billboard Dreams.

Recorded in a hurry (sorry for weird sound) just in time for the French presidential election, this show features an interview of Kalash, a political French rap band, as well as songs about recent French political events and this election. Francophones can check out yolala.org for the original French version of the interview.

The second special on French female rappers, featuring Casey, Bams and Kenny Arkana. International guest track of the month is a Dutch female rapper, Nina. Don't forget to check out http://solipsisticnation.com/?p=73 for the exquisite corpse mix I was part of!

A special on French female rappers, featuring Diam's of course, but mainly Princess Anies, Ste Strausz and Lady Laistee. News items include a partnership with GhostFace Killah's new poker thing, http://www.GFKpoker.com and concert reviews.

Oxmo Puccino, aka the Black Mafioso, Black Desperado, Black Jacques Brel or Black Popeye is one of the most gifted rappers ever. This episode tries to capture all aspects of his talent, from witty fictional stories to the most depressing introspective songs this side of the Atlantic. As Oxmo told me during an online chat, ask me to translate one of his songs. Finally, this show is dedicated to Mark Hunter. Thank you for your donation!

Julien C., hip-hop activist and scholar talks about the relationship between the French hip-hop scene and the government, bands he likes and events he helped create: -the Paris Hip-Hop festival (concerts, exhibits, debates, films showings etc) all around Paris lasted 2 weeks and attracted 15'000 hip-hop fans. -the Rue event at the Grand-Palais (concerts, dance shows, graffiti and street sports) lasted 3 days and attracted 50'000 visitors. If you're going to Paris in 2007, make sure to check out the new editions of these events! A big shoutout to Melstar and J-Blendz of the United Nations of Hip-Hop show on Sheffield Live radio! Check out their show for excellent US, UK *and* French hip-hop! And for an end-of-the-year present, pick an album or two among the many Amazon links on http://www.yolala.org . Hopefully, I'll get a small cut. Or if you want to give *me* a present, just Paypal money to thomas ATTTT yolala DOTTTT org !

While many French rappers have foreign origins, they spend more time rapping about their city or their neighborhood than about their parents' country. After the French history lesson of the immigration show, it's on to French geography!

Tracks dealing with the past, present and future of immigrant communities in France, featuring French rappers with origins in Brittanny, Italy, Algeria, Tunisia, Togo, Senegal and the West Indies. And by the way, your host is an immigrant too, having left France seven years ago to look for a better life abroad.

Yo La La! sells its soul to big business, showcasing the best and worst of French rap hits. Rapping done by non-rappers, non-rap done by rappers, co-opted artists, celtic crossovers and easy-listening funky tracks, it's all in there! Sorry for the sound issues towards the end, they will be fixed next month.

Yo La La! en espanol! Connections between francophone and hispanophone rappers as well as some plain, simple weirdness.

Back to real French rap with Klub des 7, a combination of rappers from various bands that I like. When l'Atelier was very electronic, Klub des 7 is jazz-rock oriented due to Fuzati's influence. I saw them live so this show also features some concert reviews. International guest track of the month is from Brazil.

Not-quite-rap tracks from the French "Dirty South", featuring Massilia Sound System (Marseille), Fabulous Trobadors and Zebda (both from Toulouse). No need for an international guest track of the month when one of the song contains lyrics in Occitan!

French rappers cover everything from crack to cocaine, heroin, weed and booze. International guests of the months are from the Netherlands and the USA.

In the good ol'tradition of smart and political French rap lyrics, check out these songs about the media, the French fascist party, crime and the French welfare system.

Yo La La ! is one year old! All-fun show with requests and French rap spoofs.

Keyboards and computers are thrown out of the window as electric guitars take over your favorite French Rap podcast. International guest track of the month is Beogradski Sindikat from Belgrade, Serbia. Next month is the anniversary show! Send your comments, Yo La La! stories and suggestions as emails and/or .mp3 or .wav files to thomasINSERTATHEREyolalaINSERTDOTHEREorg. Yo La La! was mentioned in the Humanist News Network podcast http://ihs.libsyn.com/, along with a great interview on French rap and the November riots. In a time when cartoons can lead to deaths, the world really needs some secular humanism http://www.humaniststudies.org/.

We're closing the experimental french rap chapter with this special on La Caution, a band that will use anything from electronica to acoustic guitar to back their often crazy lyrics. International guest track of the month is TKO from Tokyo, Japan.

After the mixtape and the EP, discover tracks from the wacky Frenchies' two albums. International guest track of the month is from Kosovo!

Strictly recent sounds from 3e basse, La Caution, TTC, Svinkels, Klub des Loosers in various configurations. International guest track of the month is by Starflam, a Belgian rap band.

Rappers from IAM and Supreme NTM play solitaire with this selection of tracks from their solo albums. Special guests include Faf Larage and Lino from Arsenik, international guest track of the month is by Sens Unik, the most famous Swiss rap band.

Back from vacation and sickness, this IAM special is a bit late. As I feature the best rap band from the South of France, my thoughts go to people in the South of the USA. Hang in there, we're sending help. And next time you vote, remember how this administration treated you.

The Supreme NTM special! Old and new tracks from the original French motherfuckers, with a Quebecois guest track, tabarnak! http://www.yolala.org/shows/YoLaLa5SupremeNTM.mp3

This show is dedicated to Brian Ibbott, host of http://www.coverville.com, the amazing cover show that got me into podcasting. This show features songs by Saian Supa Crew, G Kill, Oxmo Puccino, croatian fishermen and a whole bunch of other French rappers http://www.yolala.org/shows/YoLaLa4TributeToCoverville.mp3

The sex and romance special! Macho, emotional and romantic tracks by New Generation MC, IAM, Doc Gyneco, Diam's and TTC http://www.yolala.org/shows/YoLaLa3OhlAmour.mp3

The cops and robbers special! Anti-cop tracks by Supreme NTM and Raggasonic, riot tracks by Stomy Bugsy and Passi from Ministere Amer, the first true gangsta rap song by Lunatic as well as Moroccan band H-Kayne as special international guests of the month. Still having microphone problems, will try to fix them by next month http://www.yolala.org/shows/YoLaLa2UrbanGuerrilla.mp3

The very first Yo La La ! ever, featuring Sinik, Assassin, Klub des Loosers, Ideal J, Fattaru and Disiz la Peste. http://www.yolala.org/shows/YoLaLa1Intro.mp3