After his high-profile duet with
Guru
on the first
Jazzmatazz
project, French rapper
MC Solaar
proved himself a major contender for international
rap
stardom with his U.S. debut. With the rapid-fire rhyme flow of
Souls of Mischief
and the smooth delivery of
Q-Tip
, the young MC conveys more moods in French than most rappers can in English. The extremely subtle grooves supplied by DJ/producer
Jimmy Jay
provide velvety smooth cushions that wrap around
Solaar
's warm voice tighter than
O.J Simpson
's glove, with jazzy, funky samples that prove perfectly suited for the fluid rhymes. One of the few bright spots in a year when the
alternative rap
scene was largely devoid of originality,
came across as refreshing as a cool Parisian breeze. ~ Bret Love