French rock is a form of rock music produced in France, primarily in the French language.

In the 1970s, France saw the arrival of Alan Stivell's Breton folk-rock as well as a wave of progressive rock bands like Ange, Shylock, Magma, Eskaton, Atoll and Pulsar. French punk rock also appeared, including bands like Stinky Toys, Oberkampf and Métal Urbain. It was during this period that a few other variety music artists - Catherine Ribeiro, Jacques Higelin, Bernard Lavilliers and others - flirted with rock, but without completely changing over.

Things changed course in the 1980s. The changing of the political culture was accompanied by an explosion in youth culture. This helped the emergence of a distinct French rock that could match the lucrativeness of American and British rock music. At this time, French progressive rock was peaking, with the bands Dün, Terpandre and Emeraude achieving the most success. Téléphone (pub rock), and La Muerte (psychobilly) also took French rock to new levels.

In the following lists, artists and groups are classified by their decade of origin, even if their career spans multiple decades, or if they took time to become famous.

1960s[link]

• Frank Alamo
• Richard Anthony
• Ronnie Bird
• Danny Boy et ses Pénitents
• Les Chats sauvages
• Les Chaussettes noires
• Serge Gainsbourg
• Danyel Gérard
• Johnny Hallyday
• Françoise Hardy
• Dany Logan et Les Pirates
• Gérard Manset
• Jean-Pierre Massiera
• Eddy Mitchell
• Dick Rivers
• Sylvie Vartan

1970s[link]

Before punk[link]

• Alpes (with Catherine Ribeiro)
• Ame Son
• Ange
• Alice
• Art Zoyd
• Atoll
• Au Bonheur des Dames
• Alain Bashung
• Catharsis
• Chico Magnetic band
• Contrepoint
• Crouille Marteau
• Dynastie Crisis
• Ergo Sum
• Etron Fou Leloublan
• Fille Qui Mousse
• Forgas
• Dashiell Hedayat (aka Jack-Alain Léger)
• Gong
• Heldon
• Jacques Higelin
• Horde Catalytique Pour La Fin
• Komintern
• Lard Free
• Mahjun
• Magma
• Albert Marcoeur
• Martin Circus
• Mona Lisa
• Mozaïc
• Potemkine
• Pulsar
• Red Noise
• Rhésus O
• Trans Europe Express
• Triangle
• Variations
• Volcania
• Verto
• Wapassou
• Xalph
• ZNR

After punk[link]

• Asphalt Jungle
• Bijou
• Dogs
• Little Bob
• Marie et les Garçons
• Métal Urbain
• Starshooter
• Stinky Toys
• Les Playboys

1980s[link]

• Banlieue Rouge
• Bérurier Noir
• Café Noir
• Charlélie Couture
• Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Dirty District
• Edith Nylon
• Etienne Daho
• Gill Dougherty
• Garçons Bouchers
• Indochine
• Lili Drop
• Ludwig von 88
• Mano Negra
• Noir Désir
• Pigalle
• Les Rita Mitsouko
• Taxi Girl
• Téléphone
• Têtes Raides
• Les Thugs
• Trust
• Raoul Petite
• Les Wampas

1990s[link]

• Air (French band)
• Aston Villa
• Autour de Lucie
• Daft Punk
• Daisybox
• Dionysos
• Dolly
• Eiffel
• Elmer Food Beat
• FFF
• Freedom for King Kong
• Les Ogres de Barback
• Lofofora
• Louise Attaque
• Matthieu Chedid also known as simply -M-
• Marcel et son Orchestre
• Matmatah
• Mass Hysteria
• Mickey 3D
• Noir Désir
• No one is innocent
• Nuit-blanches
• The Needs
• Red Cardell
• Rinôçérôse
• La Rue Kétanou
• Les Satellites
• Weepers Circus
• Yan et les Abeilles

2000s[link]

• 10 Rue d'la Madeleine
• AaRON
• AqME
• Asyl
• AS Dragon
• Babylon Circus
• The Black Noodle Project
• The Blueberries
• BB Brunes
• Boxon
• Café Bertrand
• Dahlia
• Debout Sur Le Zinc
• Déportivo
• devianz
• Dionysos
• Eiffel
• Eths
• Freedom For King Kong
• Gojira
• HushPuppies
• Ipecacuana
• K
• Kaolin
• Kyo
• The Little Rabbits
• Les Fatals Picards
• Lex Riders
• Luke
• Matthieu Chedid (aka -M-)
• Music Is Not Fun
• Naast
• Nosfell
• Nude
• Pep's
• Phoenix
• Plastiscines
• Pleymo
• Quidam
• Raphael
• Saez
• Shades
• Stuck In The Sound
• Stupeflip
• Subway
• Superbus
• Tahiti 80
• Tarmac
• Vanity Case
• Vegastar
• Wäks

External links[link]

• Slipcue.com Guide To French Music (Artist profiles & record reviews in English)

French Montana (born November 9, 1984) is an American rapper and singer of Moroccan^[2][3] and Somali^[2][4] descent. He is the founder and CEO of Cocaine City Records, and in 2012, signed a joint venture recording deal with Maybach Music Group and Bad Boy Records. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Max B, and more recently with Rick Ross and with his group Coke Boys.

Early life[link]

French Montana was born Karim Kharbouch in 1984 in Rabat, Morocco,^[1][4] where he lived for the first 13 years of his life. Growing up in Rabat, he was consumed by playing soccer and rapping, describing them as his two favorite childhood hobbies.^[5] In 1996, French emigrated with his parents and two younger brothers to the Bronx in New York City.^[6] His father left the family when French was 17, and so he began to provide for his mother and younger brothers.

Music career[link]

Cocaine City[link]

In 2002, along with his friend Camz he created a series of street-flavoured DVD documentaries called 'Cocaine City' after drawing inspiration from the 'Smack' DVD series. Under the name Young French he used the DVDs as a means of showcasing his talent as an underground artist. To gain a broader fan base, French incorporated interviews with major artists, as well as some up and comers. The first edition in the series included Pee Wee Kirkland and Remy Ma alongside French himself among others. What started out as simply a medium for developing an audience quickly grew into one of the top-selling "street DVDs".^[3][6][7] The series ran for 8 years between 2002 and 2010, with a total of 14 editions being released.^[8]

2009-2010[link]

In 2009, French signed a deal with Akon's Konvict Muzik record label, but later left the label in 2011 due to album delays.^[9] Montana was subsequently reportedly close to signing a deal with Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group (MMG).^[10] There were also reports that he would join Kanye West's GOOD Music label.^[11]

Bad Boy Records/ Maybach Music Group[link]

In December 2011, Montana signed a record deal with P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records^[12] and Interscope Records.^[13] According to French, of the many major labels that were courting him, Maybach Music Group would have been his second choice had he not signed with Bad Boy.^[14] However on January 2, 2012 while in the studio with Rick Ross Montana announced that he had signed a joint venture deal with Bad Boy Records and Maybach Music Group with Rick Ross and Diddy set to executive produce his debut album.^[15] It was announced that his debut album Excuse My French would be released July 17, 2012. French was featured on XXL's Freshman Class of 2012 alongside Future, Kid Ink, Danny Brown, Macklemore, Don Trip, Hopsin, Iggy Azalea, Roscoe Dash and labelmate Machine Gun Kelly (rapper).^[16][17] However, he later revealed to Sway Calloway on RapFix Live that he almost turned down the cover opportunity, feeling he "deserved it two years ago" and that he had surpassed the current crop of rap rookies.^[18][7]

Influences[link]

According to French, the rappers Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G. and Wu-Tang Clan were among the hip hop artists that he listened to while growing up. He also considers himself a general music lover.^[19]

Personal life[link]

Between 2003 and 2004, French was shot in the head as he was exiting a recording studio in New York. He was rushed to the hospital after the incident and survived. Describing the shooting as a possible assassination attempt, the artist was subsequently involved in a murder trial in which he was eventually found not guilty. Rumors began to swirl that he had received settlement money from the case, which he then used to start his rap career. However, French later dismissed these claims as false in an interview.^[20]

Religion[link]

French Montana is Sunni Muslim, having been raised in Morocco under the Maliki madhab, or school of thought. In an interview for Vlad TV which took place on the first day of the Islamic holy month Ramadan, French revealed that he participates in fasting during the month.^[21]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Excuse My French (July 17, 2012)

Mixtapes[link]

• French Revolution Vol. 1 (Hosted by Cutmaster C) (2007)^[22]
• Live From Africa (Hosted by Cocaine City) (2008)^[23]
• Coke Wave (with Max B; Hosted by DJ Whoo Kid) (2008)^[24]
• Coke Wave 2 (with Max B; Hosted by Evil Empire) (2009)^[25]
• The Laundry Man (Hosted by Evil Empire & Big Mike) (2009)^[26]
• Mac Wit Da Cheese (Hosted by Big Mike) (2009)^[27]
• The Laundry Man 2 (Hosted by Evil Empire) (2009)^[28]
• Cocaine Konvicts: Gangsta Grillz (Hosted by DJ Drama) (2009)^[29]
• Mac & Cheese 2 (Hosted by Evil Empire, Self & Big Mike) (2010)^[30]
• Coke Boys (with Coke Boys; Hosted by DJ Lust, DJ Drama & DJ Diggz) (2010)^[31]
• Mister 16 (Casino Life) (Hosted by DJ Holiday) (2011)^[32]
• Coke Boys 2 (with Coke Boys) (Hosted by Evil Empire) (2011)^[33]
• Coke Boys Run NY (with Chinx Drugz; Hosted by ItsBizkit, Trapemasters Inc & Evil Empire) (2011)^[34]
• Lock Out (with Waka Flocka Flame; Presented by DJ Drama & DJ Green Lantern) (2011)^[35]
• Cocaine Mafia (with Juicy J and Project Pat; Hosted by Evil Empire) (2011)^[36]
• Coke Boys 3 (2012)^[37]
• Mac & Cheese 3 (Hosted by Evil Empire, Self & Big Mike) (TBA)

Other mixtapes

• Cocaine & Caviar (2010)
• Cocaine & Caviar 2 (2011)

Album appearances[link]

Singles[link]

As featured performer

Videography[link]

2008

• "Why So Serious"
• "Do It Right"
• "Smoking"
• "We Run New York"
• "Why So Serious"

2009

• "Im So Special"
• "New York Minute"
• "Playing In The Wind"
• "Henny & My 44"
• "Lay Down"
• "Stick up Boys"

2010

• "Them Girls"
• "Go Hard"
• "Whatcha Know About It"
• "Im On It"
• "Heartache & Pain"

2011

• "Tryna Breathe"
• "Choppa Choppa Down"
• "Choppa Choppa Down (Remix)"
• "Shot Caller"
• "We Mobb"
• "Stay Schemin'"

2012

• "Weed & Drinks"
• "Everything's a Go"

References[link]

External links[link]

• French Montana - Breakthrough Artist 2009/2010
• French Montana - Last.fm
• XXL magazine - French Montana
• CHAMP Magazine
• [3]
• [4]
• [5]
• [6]