One of MC Solaar's first claims to fame was the rap he did on a level one French language education tape: "Comment t'appelles-tu?".
MC Solaar's first single, Bouge de là, was a French hit in 1990 that went platinum, as was his first album, Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo. His second album, Prose Combat, may be his most acclaimed.
As a rapper MC Solaar is known for the complexity and poetry of his songs, which rely on wordplay, lyricism, and philosophical inquiry. The music is based on dance rhythms and sensual grooves. In the English-speaking world, Solaar was signed by London acid jazz label Talkin' Loud and invited to record with British group Urban Species and Guru, a member of the famous and highly-acclaimed New York group Gang Starr.
MC Solaar gained new fans in North America in early 2004, when his 2001 song La Belle Et Le Bad Boy was featured on the final episode of the popular television series Sex and the City. MC Solaar remains best-known outside of France for his work on Guru's Jazzmatazz project and as a guest rapper on the Missy Elliott track All N My Grill. Out of Guru and Solaar's collaboration, the single Le Bien, Le Mal (The Good, The Bad) was a popular Hip Hop/Dance crossover hit receiving playtime on MTV.
Intreau
MC Solaar Lyrics
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C'est relativement dur de relativiser
Mais qui ne le fait pas ne peut que diviser
Il faut parfois se mettre dans la peau d'un autre
Je tiens à m'excuser si j'ai commis la faute
Ça faisait longtemps qu'on la connaissait
Elle nous suivait de la cité jusqu'aux vacances
Et on faisait comme si elle n'avait pas d'importance
Maintenant je sais que beaucoup nous jalousaient
Parce que tout comme nous ils la méritaient
Ils prient pour elle, se battent pour elle, c'est vital
C'est pas une pin-up une playmate, c'est juste l'eau potable
In MC Solaar's poignant song, Intreau, he beautifully encapsulates how it can be quite challenging to take on a different perspective on something, especially when every fibre of your being is pulling you in a different direction. MC Solaar urges his listeners that if they do not try to look at things from a different perspective or at least attempt to relativity, there is no hope for unity. This unity, he argues, is vital for any community or society to work together towards a common goal. For him, this common goal is the right to clean drinking water, something that many take for granted.
Solaar uses his poetic skills to highlight the issue of the poor living conditions in urban areas and how it impacts access to clean water. The second verse reveals how, as kids, he and his friends would walk past water fountains without giving it a second thought, despite the fact that they were dehydrated and thirsty. This shows how people often do not prioritize or even notice something until it is taken away. However, Solaar learns later that many people are not as fortunate to have easy access to clean water and are fighting for it.
He ends the song by emphasizing how important clean water is and that it is not a luxury. He also apologizes for not noticing the issue before and hopes that others will empathize and see the importance of the issue as well. Overall, the lyrics are a call to action for everyone to try and understand different perspectives, especially on issues that are vital to the survival of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est relativement dur de relativiser
It's relatively difficult to put things in perspective
Mais qui ne le fait pas ne peut que diviser
If you don't do it, you'll only end up dividing
Il faut parfois se mettre dans la peau d'un autre
Sometimes you have to put yourself in someone else's shoes
Je tiens à m'excuser si j'ai commis la faute
I want to apologize if I made a mistake
Ça faisait longtemps qu'on la connaissait
We've known her for a long time
Elle était là tout le temps mais jamais on ne la voyait
She was always there but we never saw her
Elle nous suivait de la cité jusqu'aux vacances
She followed us from the city to the holidays
Et on faisait comme si elle n'avait pas d'importance
And we acted like she didn't matter
Maintenant je sais que beaucoup nous jalousaient
Now I know that many were jealous of us
Parce que tout comme nous ils la méritaient
Because just like us, they deserved her
Ils prient pour elle, se battent pour elle, c'est vital
They pray for her, fight for her, she's vital
C'est pas une pin-up une playmate, c'est juste l'eau potable
She's not a pin-up or a playmate, she's just clean drinking water
Contributed by Landon M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.