Alliance Ethnik - Simple et funky (Edition Deluxe) '2020

Tracks list

Biography
Amid the thriving, generally malcontent French rap scene, Alliance Ethnik stood
out during the mid- to late 90s with a feel-good, fun-loving style that proved
extremely popular. The multicultural collective only released two albums --
Simple & Funky (1995) and Fat Comeback (1999) -- yet each featured numerous hit
singles, all of which were later compiled on Best of Alliance Ethnik (2002). The
popularity of Alliance Ethnik wasnt exclusive to France, either, for the groups
music featured classic funk samples (e.g., Parliament-Funkadelic) and
English-language guest features (De La Soul) that were universally appealing. In
the end, the collective didnt so much break up as it did disperse, as some of
the members went on to enjoy busy and fruitful solo careers.

The core members of Alliance Ethnik include K-Mel, Médard, Gutsy, Crazy B,
and Faster J, all of whom were French-born children of immigrant parents. The
variety of ethnicities characterizing the members, which include relations to
Italy, Algeria, and the Congo, contributed to the idea to call the group
Alliance Ethnik (i.e., Ethnic Alliance). Rapper K-Mel is the frontman and
consequently the most well-known member. Born Kamel Houairi on September 22,
1972, to Algerian immigrants, he grew up in Creil, a northern suburb of Paris,
and musically was influenced by the Arabic cultural interests of his parents as
well as the funk records of his brother. Once he came of age, he began exploring
musical tastes of his own, which included rai and rap, both popular in his
neighborhood. In time, he fell in with the local rap scene and quickly developed
a reputation as a skilled MC with a talent for freestyling. He began performing
at local rap showcases in 1990 and, encouraged by the positive reception to his
performances, he formed a group with singer Médard and beat-maker Gutsy, both
close friends. Turntablists Crazy B and Faster J joined the group next, and with
the core membership of Alliance Ethnik now in place, the group began performing
as a unit and went about recording a demo tape.

Alliance Ethniks big break came in 1992, when they opened a high-profile concert
by popular Marseilles rap group IAM at LElysées Montmartre in Paris. In the
wake of that performance, which garnered positive media write-ups, Alliance
Ethnik were offered a recording contract with Delabel. It took a while, but
recording sessions were eventually held in Paris and New York with producer Bob
Power, whose résumé included work with A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul,
MeShell NdegéOcello, Deee-Lite, and Main Source. The resulting album, Simple
& Funky (1995), was an immediate success, boasting three smash hit singles
(Respect, Simple et Funky, Honesty et Jalousie). Alliance Ethnik supported the
release with performances at the Printemps de Bourges and Francofolies festivals
that summer, in addition to a record-release show at the venerable Paris venue
Le Bataclan on June 13. Alliance Ethniks music -- characterized by fun-spirited
lyrics, a cheerful tone, endless stretches of vibrant funk, and frequent
references to English-language hip-hop -- was rapturously received by the French
public; for instance, the group sold over 350,000 albums and 700,000 singles by
the years end, and won a Victoires de la Musique award in February 1996 for Best
New Group of the Year.

It was a few years before Alliance Ethnik returned with another album, Fat
Comeback (1999). In the meantime, rapper K-Mel began performing on a solo basis
and found the time to produce some up-and-coming talents. Most notably, he
collaborated with rai superstar Cheb Mami on the hit song Parisien du Nord.
Crazy B likewise used the layoff period to pursue his own solo interests,
competing in the DMC World DJ Championship contest annually. When the time came
for Alliance Ethnik to reassemble and begin work on their follow-up album, they
chose to collaborate with journeyman producer Prince Charles Alexander, whose
career stretched back to the early 80s, when he fronted Prince Charles & the
City Beat Band. Alliance Ethnik also collaborated with Jamey Staub on a few
tracks and produced several on their own. Clocking in at 20 tracks, Fat Comeback
is an ambitious, free-ranging album that features an all-star cast of guests,
several of them English-language speakers (Biz Markie, Vinia Mojica, Common,
Rahzel, De La Soul). The album is also at times much more socially conscious
than Simple & Funky had been, such as on the album-closing collaboration with
African superstar Youssou NDour, Un Enfant Doit Vivre. Fat Comeback didnt match
the phenomenal popularity of its predecessor; however, it was a major success
all the same, spawning a long-lasting string of hit singles (No Limites, Fat
Come Back, Jam, 5 Heures du Mat). After the album and its string of singles ran
their course, Delabel issued Best of Alliance Ethnik (2002), which rounded up
all the groups singles along with a few mixes, most notably the Prince Paul
remix of Simple et Funky. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Tracklist:
01. Alliance Ethnik - Intro (2:17)
02. Alliance Ethnik - Respect (feat. Vinia Mojica) (4:35)
03. Alliance Ethnik - Lunion du son (4:15)
04. Alliance Ethnik - Demi-tour vers le futur (3:37)
05. Alliance Ethnik - Non stop (2:56)
06. Alliance Ethnik - Sincérité et jalousie (3:16)
07. Alliance Ethnik - Je conjugue (0:44)
08. Alliance Ethnik - Salsalliancia (3:22)
09. Alliance Ethnik - Qui paye ses PV ? (3:44)
10. Alliance Ethnik - Loriginal (4:55)
11. Alliance Ethnik - Psycho funk de lalliance (4:24)
12. Alliance Ethnik - Ainsi va la vie (1:01)
13. Alliance Ethnik - Simple et funky (3:42)
14. Alliance Ethnik - Voulez-vous, rendez-vous (4:04)
15. Alliance Ethnik - Jamais à lheure (4:01)
16. Alliance Ethnik - Big Alliance (2:27)
17. Alliance Ethnik - Honesty & jalousie (Fais un choix dans la vie) [feat.
Vinia Mojica] (4:27)
18. Alliance Ethnik - Le vent tourne (4:14)
19. Alliance Ethnik - Simple et funky (Prince Paul Remix) (4:12)
20. Alliance Ethnik - Simple et funky (Alliance Ethnik Version) (3:29)
21. Alliance Ethnik - Pas la peine de smoke (2:05)
22. Alliance Ethnik - Simple et funky (Prince Paul Instrumental) (4:13)
23. Alliance Ethnik - Simple et funky (Alliance Ethnik Accapella Remix) (3:23)
24. Alliance Ethnik - Respect (Prince Pauls Bag Of Tricks Remix) (4:21)
25. Alliance Ethnik - Respect (Prince Pauls Project Mix) (4:17)
26. Alliance Ethnik - Respect (Prince Pauls Bag Of Tricks; Instrumental) (4:23)
27. Alliance Ethnik - Respect (Instrumental) (4:19)
28. Alliance Ethnik - Sincérité et jalousie (Live) (3:08)
29. Alliance Ethnik - Honesty & jalousie (Fais un choix dans la vie) (Accapella)
(4:03)
30. Alliance Ethnik - Le vent tourne (Instrumental) (4:15)
31. Alliance Ethnik - Le vent tourne (Accapella) (4:10)

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