Cheb Mami & K-Mel

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Cheb Mami & K-Mel · Parisien du Nord is a song by the Algerian singer Cheb Mami and the French-Algerian rapper K-Mel. It was first recorded for Mami's eighth studio album Meli Meli. A remixed version appeared in 1998 as a single on Virgin Records and became a great success. In France the single reached number 5 on the SNEP chart and in Wallonia number 8, and it became one of the defining French hits of 1998 and 1999.

Music and breakthrough

In the late 1990s the fusion of traditional Algerian raï with French hip hop and R&B was very popular in France, a hybrid often called raï'n'B. Parisien du Nord is one of the best-known examples. The production was by Pascal Perez, known as Imhotep, the beatmaker of the Marseille hip-hop group IAM. The beat contains samples of Funk You Up by The Sequence and Change the Beat (French Rap) by Beside.

Influence

In the lyrics the socially aware French raps of K-Mel, about the struggle and identity problems of North African immigrants in France, alternate with Mami's wistful, floating Arabic singing in the chorus. The subject is immigration, racism and the feeling of being a stranger in one's own country. As a result the song appealed to many young French people with Maghrebi roots.

Listening

• 
  Parisien du Nord · Cheb Mami & K-Mel, 1998
  Apple Music ↗

See also

• Raï