With all the negativity surrounding the French hip hop scene, mainly caused by bad journalism by short-sighted media, Saïan Supa Crew should be on the verge of becoming an international household name for years to come and vitiate the scapegoating of the media.
The eclectic quintet (yes, there's five, Specta has left the group after the release of X-Raisons over three years ago) uses musical influences from all over the world and any genre. Whether it's their different cultural roots or a broad love for music, the group blends Reggae perfectly with Drum & Bass beats, Raggamuffin and soul, thus creating their own sound without sounding forced.
"Hold Up" is the first album since 2001's "X-Raisons", after which the group temporarily split up into OFX, Explicit Samuraï, Sir Samuel, each releasing a full length album and Sly the Mic Buddah who released a beat box centred EP. Altough most of these projects were critically acclaimed releases and sold pretty good the group reunited earlier this year to record their new album which would be more internationally directed, probably learning from the success of their remix album "X-Raisons: The Standout Version" which featured several international superstars and even solidified their international success.
"La Patte", for example, for which the collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am and others like the opening track "Blow" and "Hold Up" have the group reaching for international success without forgetting about their identity. The group's been very aware of the unique blend of styles and influences which makes them so special, and which should be their strongest selling point on the international market.
It is, however, remarkable how their beat boxing skills have taken a little backseat on this album as where the group as an unit puts more focus on lyrics all the while keeping the incredible flows they're respected for. Another positive development would be the amount of productions coming from within the group itself, which provides a better coherence throughout the album, which could've been a knock on their last group effort, albeit a very small one.
Tracks like "Feceps", "96 Degrees", "Mama" and "Poison" have the group performing at their peeks, as they drop verses over great beats produced by Vicelow, Sly and Fefe. "Malgré Les Prières" and "Fly", two of only three productions by non-group members, are other highlights on an album which proves great efforts can have worthy follow-ups as the guys of the Saïan Supa Crew didn't choose the easy way out but instead reinvented themselves to prove themselves some of the best ambassadors the French hip hop scene could have.
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