For a long time, in the 2000s and 2010s, rap was considered too divisive by broadcasters to be the subject of a show or documentary. With the popular success of this music, its listening scores on streaming platforms, this era is now over. Proof of this is that the last Yellow Pieces Gala, broadcast on France 2 on January 27, invited big names in American rap, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams.
Since January 11, the flagship French-speaking rap radio show, “Planète rap”, by Skyrock, has been broadcast on France Télévisions channels, every Thursday evening at 9:10 p.m. on Culturebox and in the third part evening on France 2 (at 1:20 a.m.).
Since 1996, Skyrock has hosted a rap artist every evening of the week, who exclusively presents songs from his new album. The studio is often filled with all the friends in the entourage, and everyone fights to improvise a text on the microphone. The atmosphere is smoky, muddled, but remains good-natured, because the on-air host, Fred Musa, keeps an eye on things.
Artist Freestyles
This isn’t the first time the show has attempted a television version of its on-air show. It had already been broadcast on France 4 in 2006 for a year, then on France Ô. Since then, filmed and broadcast live on the Skyrock website, “Planète rap” was popular on YouTube, thanks to the freestyles of artists such as Fianso, Bigflo and Oli or Vald. The show is so emblematic that it is even one of the highlights of the series Validé, directed by Franck Gastambide and broadcast for two seasons on Canal, with Fred Musa playing his own role.
For France 2, “Planète rap” wants to be wiser, more polite. As soon as the credits roll, the radio studio lights up, the guest artist walks through the corridors of the antenna. Once is not customary, Fred Musa explains the importance of the guest in the current scene, supporting figures: millions of views on YouTube or on streaming platforms.
For the first, honor to the ladies with the R’n’B singer Ronisia, of Cape Verdean origin. Fred Musa, face to face with his guest in a cozy atmosphere, summoned archives of the radio show, offered reports outside the studio, in Essonne, where Ronisia grew up, and in Cape Verde , where she was born. The host takes the opportunity to recall the story of the great Cesaria Evora (1941-2011) and other Cape Verdean rap artists, such as Stomy Bugsy.
For the romantic rapper Kaza, who grew up in Fontenay-sous-Bois (Val-de-Marne), Fred Musa retraces, during his second meeting, the history of rap in 94, from MC Solar to Kery James, via Le 113. Wiser than on the radio, “Planète rap” starts gently before getting into the hard part, with Yaro (the 1st), Kaaris (the 15th) and Kerchak (the 22nd).