IAM (band) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids IAM
Akhenaton performing live from Montreal, Canada
Background information
Origin	Marseille, France
Genres	French hip hop
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Delabel Hostile Records Def Jam Recordings France
Members	Philippe Fragione (Akhenaton) Geoffroy Mussard (Shurik'n Chang-Ti) Éric Mazel (Khéops) Pascal Perez (Imhotep) François Mendy (Kephren)
Past members	Abdelmalek Sultan (Freeman)

IAM (pronounced "I am") is a famous French hip hop band. They started in 1989 in Marseille, France. The group is made up of five talented members: Akhenaton (Philippe Fragione), Shurik'n (Geoffroy Mussard), Khéops (Éric Mazel), Imhotep (Pascal Perez), and Kephren (François Mendy).

What IAM Sings About

One of the main things IAM sings about is Africa. This group was one of the first French rap groups to become popular. They often use ideas and symbols from Africa, especially ancient Egypt, in their music.

Ancient Egypt and Their Music

In 1991, their song "Les tam-tam de l'Afrique" was one of the first French rap songs to talk about slavery. IAM uses many ideas from ancient Egypt, like the stories of pharaohs.

By 1989, the band had a special rap style. They mixed French music and words with sounds from the Middle East and Egypt. Even their stage names come from Egyptian history. For example, Eric Mazel is known as Khéops, which is a nod to the Egyptian pharaoh who built pyramids.

Speaking Out in Their Songs

IAM's rap music often has strong political messages. They speak out against social problems and racial unfairness. They use their music to share important messages with their listeners.

Working with Other Artists

IAM has often worked with the American hip hop group, the Wu-Tang Clan. This shows how music can connect people from different parts of the world.

Famous Collaborations

In their 1998 song "Petit frère," IAM used a line from the Wu-Tang Clan's song "C.R.E.A.M". The line says, "Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough."

They also featured several artists connected to Wu-Tang Clan on their 1997 song "La saga." Later, in 2004, they worked with Method Man and Redman on their song "Noble Art." The music video for "Noble Art" was directed by an artist from New York named Brad Digital. IAM also appeared in a song by RZA called "Seul face à lui."

IAM also teamed up with American rapper Lucas for the song "Spin the Globe." This song featured rappers from five different countries. They all rapped in five different languages, showing how hip hop can be understood everywhere.

IAM's Music Albums

IAM has released many albums since they started. Here are some of their main albums:

• 1991: ...De la planète Mars
• 1993: Ombre est Lumière
• 1997: L'École du micro d'argent
• 2003: Revoir un printemps
• 2007: Saison 5
• 2013: Arts Martiens
• 2013: IAM
• 2017: Rêvolution
• 2019: Yasuke

Other Music Releases

Besides their main albums, IAM has also released mixtapes and live albums. Mixtapes are collections of songs, sometimes with new mixes or unreleased tracks. Live albums are recordings of their concerts.

• Mixtapes:
  • 1989: IAM Concept
  • 2007: Official Mixtape
  • 2012: Assassins Scribes
  • 2013: Assassins Scribes 2

• Live albums:
  • 2005: IAM Live au Dôme de Marseille
  • 2008: Retour Aux Pyramides

They also released a DVD of their live performance in 2007 called Live au Dôme de Marseille.

Compilation Albums

IAM has also put out compilation albums. These albums bring together their best songs or special collections from different periods.

• 2004: Anthologie 1991–2004
• 2008: L'Intégrale
• 2009: Galaxie
• 2013: Best of 2013–16 classiques
• 2021: Rimes essentielles

Popular Singles

IAM has released many singles, which are individual songs. Some of their well-known singles include:

• 1994: "Je danse le Mia" (This song reached number 1 in France!)
• 1997: "L'empire du côté obscur"
• 1997: "Nés sous la même étoile"
• 1998: "Petit frère"
• 2003: "Noble Art" (featuring Method Man & Redman)

Solo Projects by IAM Members

Many members of IAM have also released their own music albums. This allows them to explore different styles and themes on their own.

• 1995: Métèque et mat by Akhenaton
• 1998: Sad Hill by DJ Khéops
• 1998: Chroniques de Mars by Imhotep
• 1998: Où je vis by Shurik'n
• 1999: L'palais d'justice by Freeman
• 2001: Sol invictus by Akhenaton
• 2012: Tous m'appellent Shu by Shurik'n

Soundtracks for Movies

Some IAM members have also created music for movies.

• 1998: Taxi - Music by Akhenaton
• 2000: Comme un aimant - Music by Akhenaton
• 2015: Le Transporteur: Héritage - Music by Akhenaton

See also

In Spanish: IAM (banda) para niños