IAM

IAM
Origin	Marseille, France
Genre	Hip hop, European hip hop, French hip hop, boom bap, conscious hip hop, jazz rap, political hip hop, hardcore hip hop, pop-rap, instrumental hip hop
Years active	1984 or 1985 (as Lively Crew); 1987 or 1988 (as B Boy Stance); 1989 - present
Labels	Roker Promocion, Virgin, Labelle noir, Delabel, IZB, Cotè Obscur, Hostile Records, Polydor, AZ, Universal Music France, Def Jam Recording France, Def Jam Recordings, La Cosca, Hostile Records, Al Khemya Production, Al-Chimy Management, Emi, Warner Music France, Parlophone, Capitol Music, EMI Music France, Parlophone Music France, M6 Video, EMI Music France, Radio France
Members	Akhenaton DJ Khèops Shurik'n Imhotep Kephren Freeman
Associated acts	Akos, Akh, DJ Cori, Affiz.Bess, Street Fabulous, Angle Mort, Nico, Soprano, Hal, Just Music Beats, Bruizza,Rahzel, Dreddy Kruger, Prodigal Son, Timbo King, East, Fabe, Nalini, Nuttea, Kayna Samet, Method Man & Redman, Syleena Johnson, Beyoncè, Saïd, Lino, Tyler Woods, Meryem Saci, Allen Akino, Syl Johnson, Elodie Rama, Supreme, Shree Kavi, Dark Ages, Khadi Dja Ali, Ed, Hellraiser, Bald Head, Codee, Smoove, Killer Priest, Universal, RZA, Cut Killer, Wu-Tang Clan

IAM (pronounced in English as "I am") are a French hip hop group formed 1989 in Marseille, France.

Biography

A few years earlier, the group originated under the initial name, Lively Crew, in 1984 or '85 by rapper Akhenaton (born Philippe Tristan Fragione) and DJ Khèops (born Èric Mazel). By the summer of 1987 or '88, the duo was renamed B Boys Stance and became a sextet after rapper Shurik'n ( born Geoffroy Mussard), producer Imhotep ( born Pascal Perez), dancer/rapperKephren (born Francois Mendy), and dancer/rapper Freeman (born Abdel Malek Brahimi), who had just gotten into rapping at that time. The group was renamed once more to IAM (an acronym for Imperial Asiastic Men) by 1989. Signing with the Roker Promicon label, they self-produced their debut album on cassette, Concept, released in 1990. The cassette became something of a myth as word got out about it, its creators, and their fame locally. Moving to the Virgin and Labelle noir labels, they followed up with ...De La Planete Mars (From The Planet Mars) in 1991 and it became a major hit in their home country. A couple years later, through Delabel, they put out volumes 1 and 2 of Ombre Est Lumiere (Shadow Is Light). In between LPs, their EP, Comme-moi Le Micro (Give Me The Microphone) dropped on Delabel. The next year, on IZB, they were among the various acts included on Mixtape 19361 Part 2 -Le Combat Sans Fin (The Endless Fight), credited as Cut Killer & IAM. IAM's titular track was included on the Dark Vador Side whereas their two others, "Il Pluet Tout Autour Du Monde" ("It's Raining All Around The World") and "Il Faut Frapper Por Qu'll S'Arrete De Parler" ("You Have To Hit Him To Make Him Stop Talking)", were included on Dark Side B. For some odd reason, they're still credited with Cut Killer on Mixtape 19361 Part 1, despite having no tracks of their own appearing on it. On Delabel again, as well as on Cotè Obscur, they brought out L'Ècole Du Micro D'Argent (The Silver Microphone School) in 1996. This was considered to be their breakthrough record, it went gold within only a couple days in France, and once it sold a million copies, its certification was upgraded to diamond status. It even gained the six-piece international renown. At that point, by the late 1990s, they took a break from performing and recording together as the members began to cut solo albums. Akhenaton had actually already gotten a head start, releasing his debut album, Mètèque Et Mat (Wog and Mat), in 1995. Another EP by IAM, La Saga EP (Featuring US) (The Saga EP) came about in 1996. The other members followed with their own solo debuts: DJ Khèops with Sad Hill in 1997; Shurik'n with Où Je Vis (Where I Live) in 1998; Imhoptep with Blue Print, also in 1998; and Freeman featuring K.Rhyme Le Roi with L'palais De Justice (The Palace Of Justice) in 1999. Kephren's solo tracks, "Sanction" and "Wine", were included on Dj Scary's 2004 dancehall mixtape, Thug Mix. Most of them also released solo projects or they were involved within their group's albums or on other acts' works somehow under various aliases.

The collective regrouped and returned in 2003 with Revoir Un Printemps (Reviewing A Spring) on Hostile Records. Their first live album, Live au Dome de Marseille (Live at the Dome in Marseille), as part of Stratègie Tour 2004, appeared through the aforementioned label as well as Al Khemya Production and Al-Chimmy Management, and was accompanied by the DVD version. 2007 saw the release of Saison 5 (Season 5) by the Polydor label. They self-released their Official Mixtape that same year. 20 was released via AZ Records and Universal Music France in 2008. That same year found the release of their second live album, Retour aux pyramides (Back to the Pyramids) from Def Jam Recording France. It would be the last album on which Freeman was involved, as he'd leave the group the following year, reducing it to a quintet. Five years later, the remaining members brought forth Arts Martiens (Martian Arts) on Def Jam Recordings France. Also, in 2013, they brought about ...IAM through the aforementioned label. An album titled I Am Legend was planned to be made that year and there was supposed to be a collaboration with the Italian film composer, the late Ennio Morricone, but it's unknown just what happened to those and why they never seemed to come to fruition. Revolution showed up on that label in 2017 as did Yasuke in 2019. Switching labels again, this time to Cotè Obscur and La Cosca, Rimes Essentielles (Essential Rhymes) made its presence in 2021. That same year, they unleashed their third EP, Deuxième Vague (Second Wave) on Universal France. Another mixtape, I Am Wu-Tang, which found them collaborating with Wu-Tang Clan, was brought about digitally by Lossless Digital. HHHistory was delivered through Cotè Obscur. Outside of music, Akhenaton also composed music for films, composing and direction the 2000 French film, Comme Un Aimant (Like A Magnet).

Discography

EPs

• 1993: Domme-moi le micro (Give Me the Microphone)
• 1996: La Saga EP (Featuring US) (The Saga EP)
• 2021: Deuxième vague (Second Wave)

Live albums

• 2004: Live au Dome de Marseille (Live at the Dome in Marseille)
• 2008: Retour aux Pyramides (Back to the Pyramids)

Mixtapes

• 2007: Official Mixtape

Collaboration mixtapes

• 1994: Mixtape 19361 Part 2 -Le Combat Sans Fin (Mixtape 19361 Part 2-The Endless Fighht) (as Cut Killer & IAM)
• 2021: I Am Wu-Tang (as IAM x Wu-Tang)

Studio albums

• 1990: Concept
• 1991:...De La Planete Mars (From The Planet Mars)
• 1993: Ombre Ist Lumière Vols. 1 & 2 (Shadow Is Light Vols. 1 & 2)
• 1996: L'Ecole Du Micro D'Agent (The Silver Microphone School)
• 2003: Revoir Un Printemps (Reviewing A Spring)
• 2007: Saison 5 (Season 5)
• 2008: 20
• 2013: Arts Martien (Martian Arts)
• 2013:...IAM
• 2017:Revolution
• 2019: Yasuke
• 2021: Rimes Essentielles (Essential Rhymes)
• 2023: HHHistory