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Alix Mathurin (French pronunciation: [aliks matyˈʁɛ̃]) (born December 28, 1977), publicly known as Kery James, is a French-Haitian rapper, singer, actor, director, and screenwriter from Les Abymes, Guadeloupe. James has addressed suburban life and social inequalities in France in his music in contemporary France. He was a member of the rap collective Mafia K-1 Fry.[1]
Kery James | |
|---|---|
 Kery James during a show at "Vieilles Charues", France (2017) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alix Mathurin |
| Born | 28 December 1977 Les Abymes, Guadeloupe |
| Genres | French hip hop, hardcore hip hop, conscious hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, singer, dancer, record producer, screenwriter, playwright, actor |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Website | keryjamesofficiel.com[usurped] |
Career
editJames began his rap career in 1991 as a co-founder of the group Idéal J, with DJ Mehdi joining as a producer the following year. The group disbanded in 1999 after the death of Las Montana, a close friend of James, which led to a hiatus in his career.[2]
After a two-year break, he returned as a solo artist and released his debut album, Si c'était à refaire (If I Had to Do It Again), in 2001. In 2005, after contributing the track "Je ne crois plus en l'illicite" (I No Longer Believe in the Illicit) to the soundtrack for the film Illicite Projet, Black, he released his second solo album, Ma vérité (My Truth). The album included songs such as "J'aurais pu dire", "Les miens," and "Hardcore," with a guest appearance by Iron Sy.[citation needed]
His third solo album, "À l'ombre du show business" (In the Shadow of Show Business), released in 2008 and debuted at number three on the French charts in its first week. In 2016, James released his sixth album, Mouhammad Alix.[3]
James has also worked as an actor and director. In 2003, he appeared in the documentary Si tu roules avec la Mafia K'1 Fry (If You Roll with the Mafia K'1 Fry). Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, he directed Savoir et vivre ensemble (Know and Live Together), a project featuring rappers, singers, and athletes promoting unity. He appeared as a juror in the film À voix haute (Speak Up). In 2019, his film Banlieusards (Street Flow) was released on Netflix, with the sequel premiering on Netflix on September 27, 2023. He co-wrote and directed both films with Leïla Sy.[4]
In Idéal J
editIdéal J released singles "Hardcore", "Pour une poignée de dollars" and a first album titled Original MC's sur une mission. In 1992, their single "La vie est brutale" was released, and Alter MC (later known as Jessy Money) left the group.[5] In subsequent years, as DJ Mehdi developed as a producer, Kery focused on writing new material addressing subjects like confrontations with police, street rivalries, and the fear of death.[6]
In 1996, under the name Ideal J, the group released singles such as "Ghetto français", "Show Business," and "Je veux du cas"." Ideal J increased their appearances on EPs and as featured artists. Their single "J'désole mes parents" was featured on the compilation Nouvelle Donne. James's career was temporarily interrupted in 1999 when his childhood friend Las Montana was shot and killed. James adopted the name Ali to symbolize his conversion to the Islamic faith.[7]
Solo career
editIn October 2001, he released his solo album "Si c'était à refaire", which included tracks such as "28 décembre 1977," "Soledad," and "Y'a pas d'couleur." This album features collaborations with Nubians and Salif Keita. The music incorporates African, Arabic, and Cuban influences, using percussion and traditional instruments.[5]
In 2004, James's second album, Ma vérité, addressed the war in Iraq and reality television. He also collaborated with artists such as Diam's, Mélanie Giorgadès, and Amel Bent.[5]
In March 2008, he released a new album, À l'ombre du show business,, whose title track was a collaboration with French chanson singer Charles Aznavour. Other tracks included Le combat continue part III, "Banlieusards", and "Vrai Peura". In its first week of release, the album reached third place on the French charts with 24,459 albums sold. For the music videos for this album, he worked with Luc Besson, Mathieu Kassovitz, J.G. Biggs, and Chris Macari.[8]
Personal life
editJames was raised by his mother in Orly, a suburb of Paris. He moved to mainland France at seven, where he began rapping, dancing, and writing. MC Solaar noticed him when he was 10 years old in a cité (suburban housing estate) in Paris. According to James, the influence of Islam in his environment led him to adopt the name Ali.[9]
Discography
editAlbums and EPs
editSolo studio albums
edit| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR [10] |
BEL (Wa) [11] |
SWI | |||
| 2001 | Si c'était à refaire | 5 | – | – |
|
| 2004 | Savoir et vivre ensemble | 15 | 54 | 89 | |
| 2005 | Ma vérité | 8 | 69 | – |
|
| 2008 | À l'ombre du show business | 3 | 27 | 59 |
|
| 2009 | Réel | 1 | 12 | 33 |
|
| 2012 | 92.2012 | 12 | 72 | – | |
| 2013 | Dernier MC | 3 | 9 | 47 |
|
| 2016 | Mouhammad Alix | 3 [12] |
6 | 16 |
|
| 2018 | J'rap encore | 19 |
6 | 42 | |
- Others
- 2013: Coffret integral
Live albums
edit| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR [10] |
BEL (Wa) [11] |
SUI | |||
| 2010 | À mon public | 30 | 81 | – | |
Other albums and EPs (collaborations)
edit- with Idéal Junior / Idéal J
- 1992: La vie est brutale (Maxi-single) (credited to Ideal Junior)
- 1996: O'riginal MC's sur une mission (credited to Ideal J)
- 1998: Le Combat Continue (credited to Ideal J)
- with Mafia K-1 Fry
- 1997: Les liens sacrés
- 1999: Légendaire
- 2003: La cerise sur le ghetto
- 2007: Jusqu'à la mort (+ reissue)
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR [10] |
BEL (Wa) [11] | |||
| 2001 | "Y'a pas d'couleur" | 61 | – | Si c'était à refaire |
| 2004 | "Relève la tête" (Kery James presente Lino, AP, Diam's, Passi, Matt & Kool Shen) |
39 | – | Savoir et vivre ensemble |
| 2009 | "Le retour du rap français" | – | 22 (Ultratip) |
Réel |
| 2012 | "Lettre à la République" | 33 | 40 (Ultratip) |
92-2012 |
| "Dernier MC" | 133 | – | Dernier MC | |
| 2013 | "Des mots" (featuring LFDV) |
177 | – | |
| "À l'horizon" (featuring Corneille) |
82 | 31 (Ultratip) | ||
| "Contre nous" (featuring La Ligue: Youssoupha et Médine) |
145 | – | ||
| "Le mystère féminin" (featuring Imany) |
120 | 10 (Ultratip) | ||
| "94 c'est le Barça" | 141 | – | ||
| 2016 | "Mouhammad Alix" | 78 | – | |
| "N'importe quoi" | 154 | – | ||
| "Racailles" | 26 | – | ||
| "Vivre ou mourir ensemble" | 167 | – | ||
| "Musique nègre" (featuring Lino and Youssoupha) |
112 [13] |
– | ||
| 2019 | "À qui la faute" (featuring Orelsan) |
94 [14] |
– | |
Collaborations
edit(Refer to relevant section in French Wikipedia)
References
edit- ^ "Kery James prêt à quitter la France à cause du racisme ambiant". www.chartsinfrance.net (in French). 25 October 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ^ "RFI Musique - - Kery James". www1.rfi.fr. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
- ^ Mouv', Team (30 August 2016). "Kery James : toutes les infos sur l'album "Mouhammad Alix"". Mouv' (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ AlloCine. Banlieusards (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via www.allocine.fr.
- ^ a b c "Kery James". Cosmopolitan.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Punchlines Kery James". CULTURAP (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Les groupes de rap mythiques : Pourquoi se sont-ils séparés ?". www.booska-p.com (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ Kery James Feat. Béné: L'impasse (Court-métrage, Musical), retrieved 4 March 2025
- ^ "Biographie Kery James : focus sur la carrière de Kery James". CULTURAP (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "Kery James discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- ^ a b c "Kery James discography". ultratop.be/fr/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 40, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 38, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles (téléchargement + streaming) – SNEP (Week 29, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
External links
edit- (in French) Site officiel, sur Skyrock.com
- (in French) « J'aurais pu dire »[permanent dead link], version audio
- (in French) « J'aurai pu dire », version vidéo
- (in French) Biographie et airplays de Kery James