The Power of Trois

The French music genres of Rap and Hip-Hop have been ever-growing in popularity since the late 90s. With artists and groups like Sexion D'assaut, Grand Corps Malade, Diams, Lunatic and Rohff starting their careers before the wake of the new millenium, they set their positions firmly in the French music industry. But their era of fame has since been washed away and a new wave of rappers and artists have come ashore. With Paris being revealed as the most successful city for Hip-Hop back in 2019, it is time to explore and identify the key artists involved and what brought them their success.

The new surge of artists began to appear in the early 2010s, with artists like Niska, Maes and Ninho making their way to the top of the charts, but their popularity has been closely followed by an unassumed collection of rappers with one factor in common: a three-letter abbreviation. From solo artists, like SCH and MHD, to duos, such as PNL and NTM, it cannot be denied that their impact on the French rap scene has been attributed from their short and simple stage names. This article explores the career of each three-character artist and examines if their gimmicks have aided their success.

PNL

Rap duo PNL, composed of two brothers, who go by their stage names N.O.S and Ademo, formed PNL (Peace N' Lovés) in early 2014. The brothers have released three studio albums and one mixtape from their own label, QLF Records (Que La Famille), of which fellow group, DTF, is signed. Their second album, Dans la Légende, was accompanied with a four-part short film with singles Naha, Onizuka, Béné and Jusqu'au Dernier Gramme. Each video details the life of crime and gang wars in the southern suburbs of Paris, where they were born and raised, gaining them their popularity in regions outside of France. They have filmed videos at various worldwide locations, such as the USA, Japan and Iceland, and have performed across 3 continents, although their 2017 Coachella appearance was cancelled due to visa complications caused by Ademo's criminal record. Their video for "Au DD" gained global recognition, as they rap and sing atop the Eiffel Tower. The video, with 0ver 170 million views, can be viewed Here.

SCH

Julien Schwarzer, more commonly known as SCH, is a French rapper of French and German descent. Growing up in the southern city of Marseille, SCH rose to prominence for his debut mixtape and track title, A7, after experimenting with freestyles as a youngster. He has since released 4 solo albums, as well as one collaborative album with other rappers of Marseille, solidifying his career within his city and country. In more recent years, SCH has mastered the art of combining music and cinema. His 2018 album, JVLIVS, showcases his talent as both a rapper and an actor, with music videos like Otto, Mort de Rire and Pharmacie expressing his role as an Italian Mafia mobster called Julius. The album, of which the second part is expected to release in Spring 2021, also includes skits and intervals describing the life of the gangster and follows the next moves he will make. Other than his solo projects, he is notably featured on many singles, of which an Apple Music playlist has been curated Here.

MHD

MHD, born Mohamed Sylla, is a Parisian rapper of Senegalese and Guinean descent. He gained notoriety in the summer of 2015, where he created the new genre of Afrotrap, mixing French trap with West African music. Since 2015, he has released 10 parts to the Afrotrap series, amassing nearly 700 million views across all videos. Alongside the series, has also released two studio albums and one EP, with the two albums topping French charts and each earning at least one Platinum certificate. As of January 2019, he has been in jail after being charged with second-degree murder from a death that his vehicle was linked to in 2018, and is currently awaiting trial. In March 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19 while in police custody, but has since recovered. His Afrotrap playlist can be heard Here.

MRC

MRC (Muhammed Rasit Cil) is a French rapper of Turkish origin, based in the city of Strasbourg. Using his initials to represent his stage name, he picked up popularity on YouTube by releasing freestyles in 2015. A year later, he released his debut, self-titled album under Melek Records. He left the label shortly after and has since been signed to Jive Epic, a brother company of Sony Music Entertainment, where he released his second album, Zéro Code, in 2018. You can listen to his hit track "Paix Sans Guerre" Here.

PLK

Of Polish origin, Mathieu Pruski is a French rapper based in Paris. PLK started his career with various other artists in the French capital, being a member of small bands like La Confrérie and Panama Bende. He then embarked on a solo career and adopted the name PLK, coming from his childhood nickname of "mini Polak". He is notably known for his fast-paced flow, which are exhibited on "Hier" featuring SCH, "Dingue," and "Toutes Générations" featuring Rim'K. Since 2018, he has released three chart-topping albums and two mixtapes. His latest album, Enna, can be streamed Here.

DTF

Dans Ta Face (translating to "In Your Face") are a group from Ivry-Sur-Seine. The duo is comprised of childhood friends RKM and RTI, of whom the former is the first cousin of the PNL brothers. DTF formed in 2015 and have since released 3 albums and an extended play. RKM has regularly collaborated with PNL, appearing on both their mixtape, Que La Famille, and album, Le Monde Chico. With 48 million views on YouTube, their most popular song, "Comme Tu Veux," can be viewed Here.

JUL

Another fellow Marseillais, Julien Mari, better known as JUL (often stylised as JuL), is another French rapper. Most famously known for his use of the autotune, the rapper has released 15 albums, with his most popular tracks being "Wesh Alors," "Tchikita," and "Ma Jolie". In summer of 2020, he released the single "Bande Organisé" with SCH, Kofs, Naps, Soso Maness, Elams, Solda and Houari, and revealed that a collaborative project would be released later that year. In October of the same year, the album, 13 Organisé, comprised of 50 rappers of Marseillais origin, was released and sold 36,000 copies in its first week. His most popular method of identification is his bespoke hand sign, where two gun gestures are put together to spell out his name. More hand signs of French rappers can be found Here.

MMZ

MMZ (Mini Mafia Zoo) is a rap duo from Corbeil-Essonnes, comprised of members Moha and Lazer. Having close ties with PNL, the duo is most commonly recognised for their use of autotune and references to the HBO show, Game of Thrones, which are abundant in their albums. Together, they have released three albums and one EP, with their debut, Tout Pour le Gang, earning them a golden certificate by selling over 50,000 units. Their most popular song, "Loin des Étoiles," can be viewed Here.

NTM

One of the oldest French Hip Hop groups existing today, NTM, formerly known as Suprême NTM, started their career in 1989. Spanning over 3 decades with a 7-year hiatus between 2001 and 2008, the Parisian rappers Kool Shen and JoeyStarr. Whilst there are disputes regarding the group's status, both artists are still releasing solo music. Their smash hit "Laisse pas Traîner ton Fils" can be viewed Here.

SDM

Discovered by the French rap legend, Booba, SDM, born in the Parisian suburb of Clamart in the 92ème arrondissement, has only just begun to pave his way through the musical scene, with his first hit being "La Zone," featuring Le Duc de Boulogne himself. Although he has become popular as of one year ago, he has been signed to Booba's record label, 92i, and has collaborated with the likes of PLK and Koba LaD. There is no expected release for future music or an album. You can view his latest single, "Prince de la Calle" Here.

UZI

Although he has been active since 2015, UZI gained mass popularity in June 2020, with his smash hit "À la Fête," which peaked at number 10 on the French charts. Born in the Greater-Parisian suburb of Noisiel in 1999, he started rapping aged 17 and has since collaborated with RK and Ninho. He is currently signed to Sportback Records and Capitol Music France and is expected to release new music this month. You can listen to his hit single Here.

JSX

JSX is a new and upcoming rapper from Seine-Saint-Denis in the 93ème arrondissement of Paris. Although he started releasing music in 2019, he was discovered by Booba a year later and has been signed to his label, Piraterie Music. Together, they have collaborated on the track "POMPEII," garnering 2.2 million views in 4 weeks. His newly released single, "RAT-PI," released only 4 days ago, can be viewed Here.

ZKR

ZKR is a new rapper of Tunisian origin. Raised in Roubaix, north-east of Lille, he garnered a lot of attention through freestyles that he released on YouTube and has featured on SkyRock FM. Signed under AllRoadProd, his debut album, Dans les Mains, was released in January 2021, and features PLK, Niro, Leto and Koba LaD. You can listen to it Here.

Whilst all artists above have varying levels of achievement, it can be seen that their stage names have been a catalyst for their fame and success. With the lesser-known artists only having released their first few songs within the last 2-3 years, only time can tell if their careers will kick off in the future. With 17,576 possible combinations of 3-character words (17,560 remaining if the aforementioned artists are considered, alongside rappers RKM and RTI, duo PSO Thug and record label QLF), it seems like there is still plenty of time for French youth to wake up and decide to become a rapper, with a plethora of 3-letter combinations at their disposal.