:''This article is about hip hop music from the country of France, and does not cover the hip hop scenes in other French speaking countries like Senegalese, Belgian and Canadian hip hop.''

''French hip hop'' is the hip hop music style which was developed in France, and is considered the first worldwide hip hop scene. Many of the French hip hop artists come from the poor urban areas on the outskirts of large cities known as ''banlieues'' ("suburbs"). Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nantes, Lille, Strasbourg, Caen, Le Havre, Rouen, Toulouse, Grenoble and Nice have produced various French hip hop artists. The political and social status of the minority groups living in France have a direct influence on French hip hop. Many French rappers are products of the HLM rent-controlled housing and draw upon their upbringing in this environment as a source of inspiration for their lyrics. France is the world's second hip-hop producing country after the US.

History

The protest at the heart of French hip-hop can be traced directly to the economic boom following World War II. France required manpower to sustain its newly booming industries and the governmental solution was the mass immigration of peoples from regions of past French colonial occupation to fill the gaps caused by shortage in personnel. As early as 1945, ''l'Office national d'immigration'' (ONI) was formed to supervise the immigration of new workers. Newly arrived Africans were not given the same employment opportunities as their Caribbean counterparts because they were not citizens and often Africans ended up working as civil servants and menial employees living in dilapidated housing projects. Much of the resistance to social and economic imbalances in French hip-hop relate to this historically unequal situation. This is proved by lyrics of Aktivist's song, "Ils ont", The extract when translated states "Aktivist denounces intolerance to all immigrant fathers/Exploited in France since the 50s-60s/...their bodies are falling apart/And their children are still being judged according to their origins."

Beginning of French hip hop

Hip hop first appeared in France in 1979, just as the genre was achieving some success in the United States. In the beginning it was the American rap artists who dominated the hip hop scene in France. Even today French hip hop is still heavily influenced by the rap scene in the United States, particularly the gangster rap scene. Its popularity was due to the presence of a large African community in France. Beyond a simple glance at songs and music, a full understanding of French rap requires a consideration of the political and social status of minorities in France. Indeed the development of rap in this country is directly linked to the postcolonial relationships established with former colonies in Africa and the Caribbean. By 1982, a number of hip hop radio stations had appeared, including Rapper Dapper Snapper and BA Crew, and the future star DJ Dee Nasty made his first appearance. That same year saw the first major hip hop concert, the New York City Rap Tour, sponsored by Europe 1 and featuring Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmixer DST, Fab 5 Freddy, Mr Freeze and the Rock Steady Crew.

The first major star of French hip hop was MC Solaar, born Claude M'Barali in Dakar, Senegal. He moved to France in 1970 and lived in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. His 1991 ''Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo'', was a major hit. The European Music Office's report on Music in Europe claimed that the French language was well-suited for rapping, and that MC Solaar's popularity came about "probably because of his very open and positive attitude, his strong literary talents and humour". He set many records, including being the first French hip hop recording to go platinum. Most artists claim that the French language hip hop style was influenced by Renaud songs.

Following MC Solaar's breakthrough, two broad styles emerged within the French hip hop scene; artists such as Solaar, Dee Nasty, and Doc Gyneco championed a more mellow, sanguine style, while more hardcore performers such as Assassin and Suprême NTM assumed a more aggressive aesthetic. Many such artists found themselves at the heart of controversies over lyrics that were seen as glorifying the murder of police officers and other crimes, similar to outcries over violent thuggish lyrics in American gangsta rap. The cases include the notorious Ministère AMER's "Sacrifice de poulet", NTM's "Police" and later Lunatic's "Le crime paie".

Influence of American hip-hop

French hip-hop, like hip-hop in other countries, is highly influenced by American hip-hop. Columnist David Brooks writes that "ghetto life, at least as portrayed in rap videos, now defines for the young, poor and disaffected what it means to be oppressed. Gangsta resistance is the most compelling model for how to rebel against that oppression." He argues that the gangster image of American hip hop appeals to poor Muslim youth in France, as a means to oppose the racism and oppression they experience. Jody Rosen counters Brooks' argument, criticizing Brooks makes use of only a few, old samples of potential French gangsta rap that contain violent or misogynistic lyrics. Brooks fails to accurately assess French hip hop's larger scope, and discounts its potential for "rappers of amazing skill, style, and wit."

France is the world's second-largest hip-hop market and the fifth largest global music market, with 7 percent of the world's music sales, but with an unusually high quantity of local product (Negus: 159-60), although the domestic share of the French music market dropped from 48 percent to 44 percent in 1998 (Boehm 1999). Francophone rap was given a boost in the early 2000s by a decision of the French ministry of culture, which insisted that French-language stations play a minimum of 40 percent French-language music during their emissions.

This makes up one quarter of the radio's top 100, ten percent of local music production and has sold hundreds of thousands of CDs. French hip hop, however, is often criticized for imitating American hip hop style. French Rapper MC Solaar agrees sarcastically, saying, "French rap is pretty much a U.S. branch office... we copy everything, don't we? We don't even take a step back."

The 90s and 00s

Through the nineties, the music grew to become one of the most popular genres in France; in 1997, IAM's release "L'école du Micro d'Argent" sold more than 1 million discs, with NTM moving more than 700,000 copies of their final album "Suprême NTM". The group went their separate ways in 2000.

In the 2000s, similar to developments in the USA, a gap has begun to emerge in French hip hop between artists seen as having sold out, belonging to the mainstream, and more innovative independent artists. La Rumeur, Rohff, 113, Dosseh, Mister You, LIM, Lunatic, Dicidens, Lino, Kamelancien, L'Skadrille, Le 3ème Œil, Black Marché, Carré Rouge, Expression Direkt, are some hardcore rappers known for their rejection of mainstream French rap, while Casey, Rocé, Médine, Youssoupha, Fonky Family, Sexion D'Assaut, Psy4 De La Rime, Keny Arkana, Mokless, Haroun, Booba, Oxmo Puccino, Sefyu, TLF, Sniper, Arsenik, Dj Azer, Nessbeal, Puissance Nord, Mino, Soprano, L'Algérino, La Swija, Carpe Diem, represent a mix of hardcore or purist rap and mainstream designs.

Music was one way that rappers were able to bring their African heritage into their country. French tracks are often enhanced by recordings of African musical instruments, such as the kora, the balafon, and the ngoni. French rappers incorporate many different drums from African cultures into their hip hop, again installing their African heritage.

Themes

Themes in French hip hop include opposition to the social order, humor and puns, as well as racial and cultural identity. Whereas early French hip hop was seen as mimicking American hip hop in terms of aesthetic appeal, later French rappers added their own cultural and racial identities to the mix. With the rise of IAM's pharaoism, or allusions to ancient Egyptian pharaohs, we see them attempting to negotiate and create a space for themselves in a social scene rife with discrimination and racist ideologies.

Music Genres & List of Artists

French hip hop can be defined by two major categories or subgenres: hip-hop from the north, mainly centered around major cities like Paris and its suburbs, and hip-hop from the south which focuses around cities like Marseille. The different social climates in the regions make the two subgenres distinct from one another. Lyrics from the south tend to be more socially conscious, with content mainly focusing on the fight against discrimination. Rappers from the south of France are known to tell the 'cold reality' of life in France. In the north, however, content tends to be more straightforward, with rappers typically talking about the drug trade, gang wars, ghetto life and clashes with the police.

Rappers from Paris: Arsenik, Lino, Booba, Ali, Ekoué, Busta Flex, Casey, Dicidens, Disiz La Peste, Kamelancien, La Brigade, La Rumeur, La Fouine, LIM, L'Skadrille, Lunatic, Mafia K'1 Fry, 113, Kery James, Intouchable, Karlito, Ideal J, Manu Key, OGB, Mister You, NTM, Kool Shen, Joey Starr, Nysay, Salif, Oxmo Puccino, Pit Baccardi, Rohff, Scred Connexion, Haroun, Mokless, Fabe, Sefyu, Sexion D'Assaut, Sinik, Sniper, Aketo, Tunisiano, Diam's, Tandem, Mac Tyer, TLF, Youssoupha, Alibi Montana, Assassin, Beli Blanco, Despo Rutti, Diomay, Doc Gynéco, Ministère A.M.E.R, Stomy Bugsy, Expression Direkt, Iron Sy, Jarod, Kennedy, M. R, Mala, Mo'vez Lang, Nubi, Seth Gueko, Vari, X-Men, Zoxea, Les Sages Poètes De La Rue, Zesau

Rappers from Marseille: 45 Niggaz, Al Iman Staff, Black Marché, Bouga, Carpe Diem, R.E.D.K, Picrate, L.O, Reso, Teddy, Carré Rouge, Def Bond, El Matador, Faf Larage, Fonky Family, Ghost Dog, IAM, Akhenaton, Shurik'n, Freeman, K.Rhyme Le Roi, Kamses, Keny Arkana, La Swija, El Sarazino, Diego Moltissanti, Mistral, L'Algérino, Le 3ème Oeil, Le Venin, Liaisons Meurtrières, K-Rlos, Lorenzo, Lygne 26, Mino, Prodige Namor, Namor, Psy4 De La Rime, Soprano, Alonzo, Vincenzo, Puissance Nord, Révolution Urbaine, Zino, Makiavel, Brigante, S.krim, Sale Equipe, Soul Swing, Zephir, 10Kret, Berreta, Kalash L'Afro, Césarë, Chiens De Paille, Costello, Veust Lyricist, Fonky Family, Don Choa, Sat L'Artificier, Le Rat Luciano, RPZ, Yak

Rappers from other towns: Medine, KDD, Abd al Malik (Strasbourg), Dosseh, Bakar, Axiom, Casus Belli (Lyon), IPM

Relationship with Africa

"Hip Hop and rap music were born in the inner city urban communities of the U.S. at the end of the 1970s and first exported to England, as it was the first natural market for American musical products." When it reached the coasts of other European countries in the 1980s Afrika Bambaataa was the man behind it, and when he came to France he was overwhelmed by the great importance of black culture coming from Africa and the Caribbean.

Many French hip hop artists express strong ties to Africa, though not overtly. Rappers from the 1980s and 90s needed to keep their references to Africa subtle for a few reasons. First, explicitly praising Africa would have been offensive to the many immigrants who fled Algeria and other North African countries because of the economic adversity they faced there, and many rappers probably had parents who had done so. Also, obvious Afrocentrism would have provided the French anti-Arab extreme right with an opportunity to tell Arab immigrants to return to North Africa. And finally, rising conservative Islamism in North Africa would have prevented rappers from being able to imitate their behavior in their native land.

The progress of rap in France is associated with the postcolonial relationships founded with former colonies of Africa and the Caribbean. Therefore, the definition of Africa according to French ideas, and the nature of racism in French society is crucial to understanding the reason for the hip hop and rap sensation in France. Rappers are overwhlemingly of African descent, and in tackling the issue of their invisibility in French society and declaring their origins, they redefine their identity and defy French notions of race and citizenship.

Some black French hip hop artists have used their music to address challenges and issues that cause poverty in African nations. The French hip hop group Bisso Na Bisso's song "Dans la peau d'un chef" refers to the corruption of African heads of state. Though their music and the issues they cover focus more on their home country, the Republic of the Congo, all member of Bisso Na Bisso live in France and rap in French. Although many artists that have dominated the hip hop scene in France are of African descent, themes dealing with the intimate connection between France and various African countries tend not to get much promotion on mainstream radio and even less consideration in scholarly research on the subject. While the popularity of nationally grown rap in France grew with the presence of MC Solaar, his involvement in the overall French hip hop subculture is non-existent as many consider his work to be in the traditional vein of French pop and not of the politically-minded, mostly African-influenced hip hop aesthetic of France.

Specifically, IAM incorporates many African-related themes into its music. Their 1991 song "Les tam-tam de l'Afrique" was one of the first French rap hits to deal explicitly with slavery. This particular track "focused on the plunder of Africa, the abduction of its inhabitants, the Middle Passage, and the plantation system in the Americas." It uses a sample from a Stevie Wonder song called "Past Time Paradise", which, appropriately, touches on race relations and slavery as well. Many other French hip hop artists made similar statements through their music, by collaborating to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France in 1998. In order to mark the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Martinique (which is an overseas department of France in the Caribbean), on May 22, Paris's Olympia theater hosted a concert that opened with "drummers chained together" and featured performances from "rappers of African descent such as Doc Gyneco, Stomy Bugsy, Arsenik, and Hamed Daye."

IAM also incorporates images associated with ancient Egypt. Several group members assumed names reflective of this influence. For example, IAM member Eric Mazel goes by the name Kheops, the name of the builder of the Egyptian pyramids.

The African music influences in French hip hop also extend to the use of African instruments such as the Kora, balafon, and ngoni. Many of the drums played in Africa and the Caribbean music such as "derbuka from North Africa, djembe from Senegal, bèlè drums from Martinique and Dominica, gwo ka drums from Guadeloupe, etc.). The mixture of the diverse traditional African, Caribbean, and other instrumentals is what produced the French hip-hop and made it distinct. It does not necessarily represent the French inside France, but rather the minority within France that has its own origins and African connection. The majority of the most influential rappers are from African and Caribbean origins like MC Solaar, Passi, Lady Laistee, Hamed Daye and many more. Also the immigrants in the French community are not separated like some of the black communities in the United States. "Blacks, Arabs and Whites living together in a social systems where they were all going to school and also to university with more equal chances — and therefore more integrated into society".

Islam in French Hip Hop

A large number of the hip hop artists in France are children of North and West African Muslim immigrants. This multilayered identity presents itself in the content of their music and Islamic ideals are ever present in their music. In the current atmosphere of distrust of Islam, Islamic hip hop has become an art of protest especially in the post 9-11 world. Muslim hip hop artist and groups such as IAM have utilized their art to address these social issues.

In France today the Arab community has an enormous participation in the hip hop scene and fuels much of its growth. Despite the fact that much of their work is discounted by the traditional French audience, Arab rappers use their work to explore issues surrounding this sense of exclusion and tensions in the community. The Arab community has made a major contribution to French hip hop by discussing the difficulties that they go through everyday in France as a minority group via their music.

The youth of the Arab community, like the children of immigrants to Britain, struggles to find their identity in these colonial countries where much of the older, French generation thinks of the music listen to by the younger generation (like reggae and hip-hop) to be "noise", not art. As a result, most artists incorporate their roots into the present by fusing hip-hop with the music listened to by their parents (African, or North African music). Instead of this fusion being celebrated, it is looked down upon, and is often unacknowledged. Hip-hop, known as a powerful instrument of protest and rebellion draws in French minorities that are frequently disrespected in French society. This is one of the reasons that hip-hop in France is readily dismissed as "other" and associated with immigrants.

One of the most prominent Islamic hip-hop artists is the rapper Akhenaton from the group IAM. Akhenaton was born Philippe Fragione, to Italian immigrants and converted to Islam despite his family ties to Catholicism. His stage name "Akhenaton" was chosen after the first monotheistic pharaoh in Egypt. The goal of Akhenaton's music is to represent the spiritual Islam which is tolerant and mystical in order to loosen the high tension in France due to the prejudice against Muslim immigrants. The group IAM is an anti-establishment group as they want "nothing to do with the state", thus actively rejecting the way the French government is handling the tensions in the country. The group IAM spreads positive messages about Islam and tolerance, a philosophy revealed by the group's multi-ethnic make-up including members that are "Madagascaran, Senegalese, Algerian, Spanish, and Italian plus one white French Native". Muslim hip hop artist and groups such as IAM have utilized their art to address social issues as well as religious ones. Many scholars and Muslim clerics have studied whether hip-hop and music in general is permissible (Halal) in Islam. There have been many different opinions and controversy regarding this subject: "But for some conservative Muslims this verges on blasphemy; they say music is "haram" - or not allowed - in their strict interpretation of Islam". Thus, there are clearly two opposing sides within Islam on the subject of hip-hop not only in France but around the world. However, regardless of whether conservative Islam permits hip-hop or not, Islamic influences on hip-hop continue to shape the future of Hip Hop globally, as it speaks to the more than 1 billion believers in the religion.

Language

Although hip hop in France has been greatly influenced by American hip hop culture, the lyrics remain typically in French. Other than English, other language influences are based on oral traditions such as African griots, "talk over" of Jamaica and the blues. French music lyrics typically feature puns, play on words and suggestive phonetic combinations. Such artists as Boby Lapointe often use alliterations, onomatopoeia and puns or double entendre lyrics. The dialect of choice for many hip hop artists in France is verlan which is based on the inverse of original French words. In some cases artists rap in several different languages on a track including Arabic, French and English. The purpose of the lyrics, no matter the language, is "to popularize and vent the anger and frustrations of many disadvantaged and sometimes mistreated individuals, and to defend the cause of the poorest and least socially integrated segment of French society".

French hip hop stands out for its "flowing, expressive tones of the language [that] give it a clear identity within the rap world." In many French rap songs Verlan is used which is a slang that twists words by reversing and recombining them. This makes it difficult for even French speaking listeners to understand what the MC is saying. Even though it is difficult at times to understand completely the lyrics that are being said rappers still get the heat for causing violence and disturbance within society because of their intense message of rebelling against the system.

It is said that one of the most interesting points about French rap is the idea that "poetry and philosophy are greatly esteemed in France, and that they're even more greatly esteemed in French." It is general knowledge that the French love lyrics, and it seems as though no other European national is as committed to the proliferation of its mother tongue. In fact, French law states that radio play must contain at least 40% French-language material.

David Brooks claims that French rap is a copy of American gangsta rap of the early 1990s. However, his position was attacked by Jody Rosen in her article which debunks Brooks's belief that the French hip hop scene is no more than a carbon copy of earlier American work.

Like much of the Hip Hop from the United States, many French hip hop artists use the genre to address pressing social issues. The authors of the "Arab Noise and Ramadan Nights: Rai, Rap, and Franco- Maghrebi Identity" state that The French rappers rap about "the history of slavery, humanity's origins in Africa, Europe's destruction of African civilizations and the independence struggle led by the Front De Liberation Nationale." The components of their music are mostly influenced by the American rappers, but they also have their own style such as having their culture's tune in the beat. And they rap in their language and their phonetic sounds differ in time to time.

As France has embraced hip hop, they put a huge emphasis on the lyrics. The love to sing about love and poetry, and they also love to rap in French dialect. No other European nation is as committed to rapping in its mother tongue. The French government has a mandate that 40 percent of the music played on the radio must be in French. This has inspired lyrical expression in the French language. Hip hop is a way for artists to express these feelings. In the nineties hip hop became the sound of Paris as well as suburban and provincial France for that matter. More precisely, a hip hop built of French language lyrics laid on top of traditional break beats and elaborate samples. France used American hip hop as a base and then made its own flavor of hip hop based on the use of French lyrics.

Influence on pop culture

The image of the banlieue, comparable to what, in the states would be called one's "hood", has propagated itself into French pop culture in the form of clothing, accessories, attitude and of course the hip-hop music it yields. This fascination with the banlieue image has also found its way into the big screen with the movie B-13. This action/martial arts film depicts a somewhat exaggerated view of what one of the worst suburbs (which is what banlieue means, roughly translated) would be like 6 years in the future. Ironically, one finds within this move almost every iconic paradigm inherent to the gangster image in the U.S. We have a plethora of drugs and guns. We have a Don Corleone/Scarface figure who, under the influence of enough of his own product, considers himself invincible. There is, of course, a general disdain for corrupt police and politicians, and last but not least, there is the unfair imprisonment of the protagonist. The aforementioned traits contained the sub-plots of ''Juice'', ''Boyz n the Hood'', ''Belly'' and ''New Jack City'' among other movies considered pivotal to gangsta rap culture. The obvious parallels seen in the glorification of the banlieue and that of one's "hood" is not one to overlook. The commonalities in the two cultures are indicative of the fact that a.) almost every hip hop movement was bred from necessity and from rebellion. The guns, drugs and money of the hood are typically not the aftermath of an easy life but the result of a struggle whether it is as a hustler or as a gangbanger. Hip-hop provides an outlet for people in the struggle to lash out at the powers that be, and to rebel in some small way against the life they're stuck in. b.) the glorification of the banlieue also reminds us that there will always be a consumerist market of people, not in the struggle, who will take advantage of the allure of the image without totally understanding it.

Such as much of the rap and hip hop in the United States talks about money, women, guns, etc., rap in France is also somewhat following this path. Yet, many artists still rap about their ties to Africa, culture, and sending out important messages. However, hip hop in France is taking on the same image as hip hop in the United States. Its changing to talking about gangbanging, raping, and other illegal activities. The scene is moving away from its origins to send a message. Not only in France, but in many African countries, French hip hop is played and heard. "The images, modes and attitudes of hip-hop and gangsta rap are so powerful they are having a hegemonic effect across the globe."

Breakdancing

The break-dancing scene in France is widespread, and some French B-Boys are well known for taking part in competitions such as BOTY. One of the most well known crews from France are the Vagabonds and the pockémon , both of them win the BOTY .

See also

List of French hip hop artists

References

Krümm, Philippe and Jean-Pierre Rasle. "Music of the Regions". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 103–113. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0

www.puissance2frappe.skyblog.com

External links

English language links:

Feature article exploring the French rap scene of 2006.

Yo La La! An English language podcast on French hip-hop.

SonDelaZone.fr A French Rap Video, Radio, Community & Webradio Site Community rap multilanguage

French language links:

NEVERSLEEP TV A French Rap Video Site - interviews, fresstyle, DJ set

ClipDeRap.com A French Rap Video Site - All About Classics

A French Hip Hop Site banlieue-connexion.com

A French Hip Hop Site booska-p.com

A French Hip Hop Site rap1pulsif.com

Rap Francais French Rap Site.

ecoutelaruemarianne.fr French Hip Hop Site.

RapFrancais.com A Web-Radio with French rap.

RAP2K.COM A French Rap and Hip Hop resource

ABCDRduson A French magazine about of Hip-hop.

90BPM A French magazine about of Hip-hop.

A French magazine about of Hip-hop

BBoyKonsian Webzine Hip-Hop & Reggae Undacover - Purists Only - News

13OR-du-HipHop Webzine French Hip Hop News

SonDelaZone.fr A French Rap Video, Radio, Community & Webradio Site Webradio Rap & Rap mp3

Russian language links:

frap.ru FRap

lehiphop.ru Le Hip Hop

InRap.ru International Hip Hop

Notes

Category:French styles of music

de:Französischer Hip-Hop es:Hip hop francés fr:Rap français it:Hip hop francese nl:Franse hiphop

Keny Arkana (born 1982 in Marseille, France) is a French rap artist. She is active in the alter-globalization movement with "La Rage Du Peuple", a music collective created in 2004 in the neighborhood of Noailles in Marseilles.

Biography

Raised in Marseilles of Argentine heritage, Arkana began rapping in 1996, with her first texts at the age of 12. She formed the collectives Mars Patrie and later Etat-Major, gaining performance experience in the Marseilles underground scene, culminating in the 2003 release of Etat Major's first mixtape.

After several solo appearances on various projects, Arkana released her first EP ''Le missile est lancé'' (''The rocket is launched'') in 2004. Her first album ''Entre ciment et belle étoile'' (''Between concrete and stars'') was released in October 2006. Her first single, ''La rage'', released in 2006, pointedly references the 2005 civil unrest in France.

Keny Arkana also launched a series of local social fora through the association Appel aux sans voix (Call to the voiceless).

"L'Esquisse 2" is her latest album, released in May 2011.

Etat-Major Discography

2003 : Volume 1 (EP)

Solo discography

2004 : Le missile est lancé (EP)

2005 : L'Esquisse

2006 : La rage (EP)

2006 : Entre ciment et belle étoile (october 16)

2008 : Désobéissance (EP) (april 7)

2011 : L'Esquisse 2 (may 23)

2012 : Tout Tourne Autour Du Soleil (2012)

Notes

Links

Official site of Keny Arkana

La Rage du Peuple

La Rage (sound file)

Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:French rappers Category:French people of Argentine descent Category:Female rappers

da:Keny Arkana de:Keny Arkana es:Keny Arkana fr:Keny Arkana it:Keny Arkana he:קאני ארקנה sv:Keny Arkana

name	All Starz
jp	PPB, PPB All Stars
country	United States
appear	It's All Relative, Episode 20
names	PPB All Starz, All Starz
leader	Michael Parker
members	Emily YorkEddy Wheeler Steven JonesRick Anderson (Season 3 only)Max Tate (Season 3 only)
support	Judy }}

The All Starz (later known as PPB All Starz) are a fictional team of Beybladers in the anime series Beyblade. The team consisted of Michael, Steven, Eddy and Emily in the First Season, and Max and Rick in the Third season, while Michael, Eddie and Emily would be supporting members, and Steven would not appear in the entire season. Nevertheless, he is seen with a broken foot during the anime final epilogue cut by Nelvana. They hail from the United States of America, and except for Max and Rick, they love other sports apart from Beyblade: Michael plays Baseball, Steven plays Football, Eddy plays Basketball and Emily plays Tennis. Also, during the First Season, they use sports-related objects as launchers: Michael throws a baseball with a baseball glove, Steven kicks a Football, Eddy dunks a basketball on the ground, and Emily uses a tennis racquet to strike a tennis ball.

In the original version, The All Starz are always known as the PPB All Stars. The dub removed PPB and placed it back in in G-Revolution, and they replaced the last "s" with "z". They are also the only team in season one to have all its members keep their original names.

Members

;Michael Parker (voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi) :Michael is the team captain of the All-Starz and is first shown in Episode 20; Series 1, in a quick screen shot with him shadowed so it's not possible to see his face. Then in Episode 22 he is shown as an arrogant, over confident show off who does not like it when people question his abilities (ie. Judy and Emily). He is first shown to place his trust totally in science and that skill will never beat it. Until Max, in Episode 28 beats him with sheer skill and power. He realises that skill and heart are much better than science afterward. :During G-Revolution, he is seen with a new haircut (long, straight blonde hair, with his right eye being covered by his bangs). He is defeated by Rick during the American eliminations of the Beyblade Championship, and confronts Judy by saying: "Now you have your team, so I guess you don't need us any more." He and Rick never really get along, but later in the series they have been shown to at least tolerate each other. :He is 16 in the first season and 18 in the third. :In the first season, his beyblade is Trygle with the Fast Ball Attack, Maximum Cannon Ball Flame Attack and Talon Attack. In the third, it's upgraded to Trygle 2 with the Super Cannon Attack. ;Rick Anderson (voiced by Takehiro Murozono) :Rick is a bull-like strong blader but he doesn't have respect for the game. He first appears in G-Revolution where he teams up with Max and forms the PPB All Starz. His bitbeast is Rock Bison and his finishing move is the Drop Rock attack. Rick was born in a rough neighbourhood where everybody cared for themselves. He is dominant in the first couple of matches where he physically destroys the left arm of Claude of the Barthez Battalion and in his second match where he manhandles Raul of the F-Dynasty. During the fight against the White Tiger X, he is forced to fight together with Max against Ray and Lee. During this fight, Rick learns how to work in a team. However, his dream of becoming the world champion ends when he and Max are defeated by the BBA Revolution. After the championship ends, he supports the G-Revolution team as they get ready to fight the BEGA League. In the final scenes of Beyblade G-Revolution, Rick is seen beyblading with Carlos in an alley. ;Emily York (voiced by Yukari Honma) :Emily is first shown in Episode 19; Series 1, she is shown to be quite snobby and stuck up. She does not like trash talk, as she jumps to the challenge when Tyson exclaims that he is just as good as those trained in the PPB corporation. She beats Max in a small beyblade match showing the strength of the All Starz in that match. :She is the only girl of the All Starz team. Emily relies solely on science to help her team beat their opponents. She uses a tennis racket for a launcher in the first season. :During the third season, she loses to Max during the American eliminatories of the Beyblade Championship, and refuses his words of encouragement. :She has shown affection toward Max and Kenny on occasion. :She is 15 in the first season and 17 in the third. :In the first season, her beyblade is Trygator with the Water Smash attack. In the third, it's upgraded to Trygator 2 with the Alligator's Bites attack. ;Eddy Wheeler (voiced by Hisayoshi Suganuma) :Eddy fits in perfectly with the All-Starz due to his love for basketball. Rarely if ever seen without his basketball by his side, Eddy is a valuable asset to the All-Starz, even though he might not be as strong as some of the others. Eddy is first show during episode 20 with another one of his team mates; Steven. He is shown to have grey/black hair and is African American. Eddy is an all round easy going character but will step up to fight if his team is being trash talked. :Eddy is seen multiple times during the American Tournament and at the very end of the Tournament is seen to be battling the Bladebreakers team mate, Ray. Eddy has the upper hand with the dish that has been selected making it easier for him to beat Ray in 2 battles, the last one not needing to be played as Eddy won the best of three. :Eddy is then seen during the Russian Championships along with his team and faces the Demolition Boys' Captain, Tala. He loses the battle quite easily, shocking him and his team. :During the third season, his hair is blonde and his lips are no longer drawn with emphasis. :He is then seen again in Season 3, with a different hair style (now grey and what seems to be a bleached blond colour for his hair) and is pretty much in the same outfit; besides the new PPB jackets. He has a battle with Rick, another African American with grey hair (soon to be a member of the team) and Eddy seems to tie with Rick in what seems to be an unfair battle as Rick follows no rules of Beyblading. Eddy is seen again in further episodes (episode 7) and by the looks of things lost his tournament battle to become a tag team member, but he supports his other team mates; Emily and Michael in trying to win their respective battles. :He is 17 in the first season and 19 in the third. :In the first season, his beyblade is Trypio with the Sting Shoot attack. In the third, it's Trypio 2 with the Scorpio Sting attack. ;Steven Jones (voiced by Kenichi Suzumura) :Steve used to be a pro football player before being kicked off his team for unsportman-like conduct (Dizzi states this in the dubbed version) and then takes up Beyblade to beat other players which his sheer brute force of power. Steven uses a beyblade with more powerful attack rings in an attempt to do more damage in battle. Steve was first seen in Episode 20 with his team mate Eddy when the Blade Breakers decided to check out the PPB Corp. Ray challenged Steven to a battle, but lost the battle after Steven's bitbeast overpowers Driger. Steven then proceeds to show the Bladebreakers the exact power of his blade by smashing a hard glass wall behind the Bladebreakers, of which Tyson tried to smash but failed. :Steven is then seen multiple times leading up to the final American Tournament Battle against Tyson. The first round, Steven lets him have an easy win, to allow his team to collect data on his newer attack moves and such, so they know what to expect the next battle. The 2nd battle is won pretty easily by Steven after a few new battle techniques he overcomes Tyson for a victory. The 3rd battle, being the longest; Tyson tries out some new battle techniques to catch the All Starz data collecting system off guard and to make Steven, who can not keep up with him; get angry. With Steven getting angry, he fails to concentrate on the battle at hand and Tyson simply uses his special attack to finish him off. Steven loses this battle. :Steven in then seen again during the Russian Championships, he battles the Demolition Boys 'Ian'. Ian beats him with incredible ease, leaving the Steven annoyed once more. :He is 17 in the first season. His beyblade is Tryhorn with the Stampede Rush attack. ;Judy Tate (Judy Mizuhara) :A researcher and scientist of the BBA, and the All Starz coach. Also Max's mother, she does beyblade research at an American BBA facility. During the First World Championship, she assists the All Starz against her own son and the Bladebreakers, and she and her team learn that technology isn't everything one needs to be the best.

History

2000

By being the top American team, they had a huge success during the American championship. When the fight against the Bladebreakers arrives, everyone is able to see that this is a fight of skills against science. Tyson defeats Steven after he loses his mind during the fight. Eddy easily defeats Ray. Michael then confronts Max, and is defeated by him even though he had all the technology on his side. During the finals in Russia Steve goes first but is easily defeated by Ian, Eddie fights Tala second but gets easily defeated where Tala makes a new record of fastest battle in the championship, after that all the team's bit beasts are taken by Kai and his Black Dranzer, even though he fought alone against all them at the same time. They recover their bit beasts after end of the championship, though.

G-Revolution

The All Starz reappear in the third season, as the PPB All Starz (PPB stands for Project Power Beyblade which is told in the very first series of beyblade when the Bladebreakers visit the PPB center to check out their competition), with a modified player line-up, excluding Steven (who was revealed in the finale to be in the hospital with an injured leg) and adding Max Tate and Rick Anderson. On the first chapters, Rick wins against Michael, this victory brings him the main place in the team, along with Max, who wins against Emily. At first, Rick doesn't want to cooperate with Max, and only want to win by himself. Their first battles against the F-Dynasty and the Barthez Battalion are easily won by them, but they are now seen as villains, for Rick having seriously injured Claude during his fight, even though it was a plan by the Barthez Coach. When they fight against the Blitzkrieg Boys, Max is defeated by Kai, despite Max's new Draciel Gravity. Rick then beats Tala up very quickly, and then strikes Kai with extreme force, only to be defeated by Kai's delicate moves. The next fight was against the White Tiger X, and he is forced to fight together with Max against Ray and Lee. During this fight, Rick finally learns how to work in a team. Their final match is against the BBA Revolution. Rick is defeated by Daichi after a long and heavy fight, and Max barely loses to Tyson. Although he didn't win the battle, he managed to at least severely damage Tyson's Dragoon.

In the BEGA saga, Max wins a place on the new team G-Revolutions, and Michael and Emily bring them the pieces for new beyblades plus assistance from Rick, especially when he partners up with Lee of the White Tigers to protect Tyson during Ming-Ming and Crusher's reluctant attempt to incapacitate the world champion under orders from Boris before the BEGA Justice 5 tiebreaker battle.

Trivia

All the names of the All Starz (Michael, Steve, Emily and Eddy) bitbeasts starts with "Try" (Trygle, Trygator, Trypio, Tryhorn). This changes with Rick's and Max's inclusion in the team with their Rock Bison and Draciel.

Category:Beyblade teams Category:Fictional American people