La Rumeur

La Rumeur (French pronunciation: ​[la ʁyˈmœʁ]) is a French-language rap group from Élancourt (Yvelines, France). Founded in 1995, the group is composed of four rappers, Ekoué, Hamé, Mourad, and Philippe, and two DJs, Kool M and Soul G.

Considering themselves an "underground" or subversive group, La Rumeur has refused to adapt their lyrics for radio. They carefully select the media outlets with which they communicate, shunning the popular press, television, and radio. Concerts and word of mouth are their main means of promotion.

La Rumeur and the group Anfalsh are very close, having written and performed several songs together. They have also worked with politically involved hip hop crews such as Assassin, Kalash, Less' du Neuf, and hardcore rappers Sheryo and Casey.

Political involvement

La Rumeur has involved itself in political activism in the suburbs of France, calling for attention to be paid to the often-ignored Paris massacre of 1961, as well as to police abuse, including "accidental" killings of young French people. The band is critical of reformist NGOs such as SOS Racisme. Hamé wrote: "... through organizations such as SOS Racisme, created by the PS to contribute to the destruction of the Marche des beurs radicalism ; 'Equal rights' has become 'Equal chances to be admitted into nightclubs'. Justice for those assassinated by the police is overshadowed by massive slogans such as "Hands off my pal !" and "Long live miscegenation !", etc.... La Rumeur is closer to NGOs such as the MIB (Mouvement Immigration Banlieue).

Hamé

Mohamed Bourokba, aka Hamé (born 1975, Perpignan, France) is a French filmmaker and rapper.

Early life

Bourokba was the fifth in a family of six children, from two different mothers. The family settled in France during the 1950s. His Algerian father, who could neither read nor write, spent his life working as a farm labourer. After the death of his wife in the early 1970s, he remarried quickly for the sake of his three daughters. His new wife, Hamé's mother, was twenty years younger than he was. She also came from Algeria. She became a housekeeper and learned to read and write.

Film

Wanting to surround himself with images, Hamé studied cinema at the Sorbonne. Rap played a big part in his life; he collaborated with the group La Rumeur, making several videos for the group. After obtaining his master's degree in film and literature, Hamé was awarded a scholarship. He spent a year at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

After creating five short films, Hamé returned to France. He wanted to write and direct films dealing with those subjects that were of greatest importance to him. "Je ne suis pas le gardien de mon frère" ("I am not my brother's keeper"), his first short film, received the support of CNC and French TV channel Arte, and addresses the subject of post-colonial immigration. Canal Plus signed him to write a hip hop musical about integrity and temptation. He has also written a feature film, Faux, the story of an impostor, which he hoped to shoot in 2012. Hamé was also working on writing a novel to be published by Les Editions du Seuil.