Élie Yaffa (; born 9 December 1976), better known under his stage name Booba, is a French rapper. After a brief stint as a break dancer in the early 1990s, Booba partnered with his friend

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

to form

Lunatic Lunatic is an antiquated term referring to a person who is seen as mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, or crazy—conditions once attributed to "lunacy". The word derives from ''lunaticus'' meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck". History The te ...

. The duo released a critically acclaimed album in 2000 but disbanded in 2003. Booba has since embarked on a successful solo career, selling more than 10 million discs over his career and becoming the most legally downloaded artist in French history. Booba is praised for the quality of his flow and beats but often criticized because of the controversial nature of his lyrics. He has also established the rap label

Tallac Records Tallac Records is the label created in 2004 by the French rapper Booba. It is licensed by the record label Barclay Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Associated labels include 92i Records (since 2015 and many times as an affiliate of ...

, and developed a line of jewellery.

Life and career

Élie Yaffa was born on 9 December 1976 in the outskirts of Paris in

Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...

. His father is Senegalese and his mother is French of Mosellan and Belgian descent. With his friend

they formed the duo

in 1994. Unable to secure a record deal from a major label because of their controversial lyrics, they created their own independent record label 45 Scientific in 1999. The following year, Lunatic released its first and only album entitled ''

Mauvais œil Lunatic was a French hip hop duo from Boulogne-Billancourt. The lineup consisted of Booba (from Boulogne-Billancourt) and Ali (from Issy-les-Moulineaux), coming from the department of Hauts-de-Seine in the west suburb of Paris. After Lunatic ...

''. In 2002, Booba released his debut solo album ''

Temps mort ''Temps mort'' (, literally "Time out") is the debut album by French rapper Booba. For the song "Nouvelle école" exists also a remix which features American rap duo Mobb Deep. Track listing Samples *"Indépendants" contains a sample of ...

''. He followed this up with four further albums: ''

Panthéon The Panthéon (, from the Classical Greek word , , ' empleto all the gods') is a monument in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It stands in the Latin Quarter, atop the , in the centre of the , which was named after it. The edifice was b ...

'', ''

Ouest Side ''Ouest Side'' (French for "West side") is the third album by French rapper Booba released on 13 February 2006 on Tallac Records, via the major Barclay Records / Universal Music Group. History The cover realized by Armen is inspired by a famous ...

'' (the most successful), ''

0.9 ''0.9'' is the fourth album by French rapper Booba and released on November 24, 2008, on Tallac Records via the major Barclay Records Barclay is a French record company and label founded by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Eddie Barclay was a bandle ...

'' and ''

''. In late 2012, he released his sixth solo album '' Futur''. In whole, Booba has ten disks certified, six Disques d'Or (Gold album), three Disques de platine (Platinum album) and one Double disque de platine (Double-Platinum album). In 2011, Booba won the "My Youtube" contest, ahead of popular artists like Rihanna,

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, Eminem, Jay-Z,

Sexion D'Assaut Sexion d'Assaut (), formerly known as 3ème Prototype (for "Troisième Prototype" ; en, "3rd Prototype"), is a French hip hop band formed in 2002, composed of eight Parisian rappers. They are signed to independent record label Wati B, which i ...

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...

Stromae Paul van Haver (; born 12 March 1985), better known by his stage name Stromae (), is a Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is mostly known for his music blending hip hop and electronic music. Stromae came to wide public attenti ...

,...

Musical style

Booba was influenced by the American hip-hop scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s – Mobb Deep,

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

, and

Biggie Smalls Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

. Dark melodies accompanied with raw lyrics, typical of the rap from New York, are present on every album of his. He is often criticized for being an apologist for easy money and murder. Booba advocates a reduction in the taxes and claims himself in support of individual freedom. Racism is a recurring topic of his songs (see for example "Couleur ébène", "Pitbull", "Ma Couleur"), although he sometimes deliberately advocates communitarian positions.

Other ventures

Booba is also the creator of a streetwear brand, Ünkut, one of the most popular brands of this type in France.

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Singles

As lead artist

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

As featured artist

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

Other charted songs

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1976 births Living people French rappers French people of Senegalese descent French people of Belgian descent French people of German descent People from Boulogne-Billancourt French expatriates in the United States Gangsta rappers Rappers from Hauts-de-Seine Because Music artists

Life and career

Musical style

Other ventures

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

See also

References

External links