IAM, the French rap band that no longer needs presentation, marked our generations with the release of their third studio album, "L’École du Micro d'Argent", on March 18, 1997, under the EMI, Delabel and Virgin labels.
This opus redefined the norms of French rap and solidified IAM’s position as a pioneer of the genre.
Recorded twice
The creation of this album was not without pitfalls. IAM faced several challenges in its design. The first version, recorded and mixed in New York under the direction of Nick Sansano, did not fully satisfy the group. Aware of the need to reinvent itself, IAM returned to the studio to refine the album with the precious help of producer Prince Charles Alexander in Paris. This collaboration made it possible to give the album a striking and clean sound, while preserving the very essence of the band.
"L'École du Micro d'Argent" opens with the eponymous title track, offering an immediate immersion into the dark and introspective universe of IAM. Journalist Laure Narlian, in an Inrockuptibles article, highlighted the exceptional quality of the rappers' writing and performances, describing the album as a mixture of dark minimalism and disturbing humor.
This album is a testament to IAM’s social and political commitment. The members of the group drew their inspiration from the turbulent news of the time, addressing themes such as racism, fascism and the evolution of the political scene.
They also drew on Chinese mythology to enrich their artistic universe, marking a significant evolution from their previous albums.
Fan Reception
"L'École du Micro d'Argent" quickly became a mainstay of French rap, acclaimed by critics and the public. It was hailed as one of the best albums of its kind, receiving the Best Album of the Year award at the Victoires de la musique in 1998. Personalities such as Olivier Cachin and Julien Valnet praised his artistic ambition and impeccable production.
Among the emblematic tracks of the album, "Demain, c'est loin", a 9-minute work without verse or chorus, marked the minds as a classic of French rap.
Certified platinum in December 1997, "L'École du Micro d'Argent" was a phenomenal commercial success, with sales exceeding 1.5 million copies.
"L'École du Micro d'Argent" is much more than a simple rap album, it is a masterpiece. It is a timeless work that redefined the norms of the time and solidified IAM’s position as a living legend of French rap.
List of tracks from "L'École du Micro d'argent"
On a second edition of the album released in 1998, "Libère mon imagination" is replaced by "Independenza".
- L'École du micro d'argent (Imhotep, Kheops) - 3:52
- Dangereux (featuring Bruizza et Rahzel) (Akhenaton, Imhotep, Kheops) - 3:46
- Nés sous la même étoile (Akhenaton, Imhotep, Kheops) - 3:50
- La Saga (featuring Sunz Of Man) (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:02
- Petit frère (Akhenaton, Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:44
- Elle donne son corps avant son nom ( Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:12
- L'Empire du côté obscur ( Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:27
- Regarde (Akhenaton, Imhotep) - 3:57
- L'Enfer (featuring East et Fabe) (Akhenaton, Kheops, Shurik'n) - 4:52
- Quand tu allais, on revenait (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:48
- Chez le mac (featuring Nalini) (Imhotep, Kheops, Shurik'n) - 4:42
- Un bon son brut pour les truands (Akhenaton, Imhotep, Kheops) - 3:50
- Bouger la tête (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:43
- Un cri court dans la nuit (featuring Daddy Nuttea) (Akhenaton, Imhotep, Kheops) - 3:52
- Libère mon imagination (Akhenaton, Imhotep, Kheops) - 5:20
- Demain, c'est loin (Imhotep, Kheops, Shurik'n) - 9:00
Total: 73:56
CD Bonus
- Hold-Up mental (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:53
- Donne-moi le micro (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:35
- Complexe (Akhenaton) - 4:13
- Il faut taper (Imhotep, Kheops) - 5:17
- Sans issues (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:56
- Sales hypocrites (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:11
- Doin' Our Thang (featuring Smooth Lordion) (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:21
- La Réalité (Akhenaton) - 3:39
- C'est clair je suis sombre (Imhotep, Kheops) - 4:26
- La 25e image (remix) (Imhotep, Kheops) - 5:31
Total: 46:02
Samples used in IAM’s "L'École du Micro d'Argent":
Nés sous la même étoile : The sample comes from "Murder in the First" by Christopher Young
Elle donne son corps avant son nom : The sample is from "I Hate I Walked Away" by Syl Johnson.
Chez le mac : IAM used the "Bills" sample from The Counts for this track.
Un bon son brut pour les truands : The sample used is from "Passacaglia" by Yusef Lateef.
Petit frère : The famous track "Petit frère" of IAM sample "C.R.E.A.M." of the Wu-Tang Clan.
L'empire du côté obscur : The introductory sentence is taken from an audio version of the novel "Twenty thousand leagues under the sea" by Jules Verne, with the participation of Jean Gabin to the music composed by Maurice Jarre.
La saga : IAM sampled "Memphis in June" by Ramsey Lewis for this title.
L'enfer : The sample used comes from "Dirty Harry - End Titles" by Lalo Schifrin, from the movie "Inspector Harry" by Don Siegel.
Bouge ta tête : The track uses a sample of "Les Lyonnais" by Olivier Marchal.
Reissues of "L'École du Micro d'Argent":
After sixteen years since its initial release, on September 30, 2013, IAM released a special reissue of "L'École du Micro d'Argent". Two versions have been released:
Limited Edition: This version includes 4 CDs, including the original album and 3 bonus CDs including B-sides, rarities, remixes and instrumental versions. The box is presented in a beautiful book format of 80 pages, with the lyrics of the songs, rare photos of the group and a new interview conducted in July 2013, evoking the genesis of the album.
Digipack Edition: This version includes 3 CDs, with the original album and 2 bonus CDs.
A vinyl reissue (triple vinyl) was released on December 18, 2015, signed Warner/ Parlophone. This reissue was motivated by a strong demand from fans and to counter a German pirate reissue of poor quality, released in early 2015, which roughly imitated the visual of the original album.
It follows a strong demand from fans and especially a German pirate reissue at the beginning of 2015 that roughly imitates the visual for the album cover and whose sound is of very poor quality.
Right now, IAM is doing the HH History Tour, the unconditional supporters of the group have answered the call of the legendary IAM.
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L'École du Micro d'Argent, a mythical and emblematic album?