Kery James


Alix Mathurin , publicly known as Kery James, is a French-Haitian rapper, singer, actor, director, and screenwriter from Les Abymes, Guadeloupe. James' music has addressed suburban life and social inequalities in contemporary France. He was a member of the rap collective Mafia K-1 Fry.

Career

James began his rap career in 1991 as a co-founder of the group Idéal J, with DJ Mehdi joining as a producer the following year. The group disbanded in 1999 after the death of Las Montana, a close friend of James, leading to a hiatus in James' career.
After a two-year break, he returned as a solo artist and released his debut album, Si c'était à refaire, in 2001. In 2005, after contributing the track "Je ne crois plus en l'illicite" to the soundtrack for the film Illicite Projet, he released his second solo album, Ma vérité. The album included songs such as "J'aurais pu dire", ''"Les miens," and "Hardcore," with a guest appearance by Iron Sy.
His third solo album, "À l'ombre du show business", was released in 2008 and debuted at number three on the French charts in its first week. In 2016, James released his sixth album, Mouhammad Alix.
James has also worked as an actor and director. In 2003, he appeared in the documentary Si tu roules avec la Mafia K'1 Fry. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, he directed Savoir et vivre ensemble, a project featuring rappers, singers, and athletes promoting unity. He appeared as a juror in the 2017 film À voix haute. In 2019, his film Banlieusards'' was released on Netflix, with the sequel premiering on Netflix on September 27, 2023. He co-wrote and directed both films with Leïla Sy.

Idéal J

Idéal J released singles "Hardcore", "Pour une poignée de dollars" and a debut album titled Original MC's sur une mission. In 1992, their single "La vie est brutale" was released, and Alter MC left the group. In subsequent years, as DJ Mehdi developed as a producer, Kery focused on writing new material addressing subjects like confrontations with police, street rivalries, and fear of death.
In 1996, under the name Ideal J, the group released singles such as "", "Show Business," and "Je veux du cas"." The group also appeared on EPs and as featured artists. Their single "J'désole mes parents" was featured on the compilation Nouvelle Donne.

Solo career

In October 2001, he released his solo album "Si c'était à refaire", which included tracks such as "28 décembre 1977," "Soledad," and "Y'a pas d'couleur." The album features collaborations with Nubians and Salif Keita. The music incorporates African, Arabic, and Cuban influences, using percussion and traditional instruments.
In 2004, James's second album, Ma vérité, addressed the war in Iraq and reality television. He also collaborated with artists such as Diam's, Mélanie Giorgadès, and Amel Bent.
In March 2008, he released a new album, À l'ombre du show business,, whose title track was a collaboration with French chanson singer Charles Aznavour. Other tracks included Le combat continue part III, "Banlieusards", and "Vrai Peura". In its first week of release, the album reached third place on the French charts with 24,459 albums sold. For the music videos for this album, he worked with Luc Besson, Mathieu Kassovitz, J.G. Biggs, and Chris Macari.

Personal life

James was raised by his mother in Orly, a suburb of Paris. He moved to mainland France at seven, where he began rapping, dancing, and writing. MC Solaar noticed him when he was 10 years old in a cité in Paris. According to James, the influence of Islam in his environment led him to adopt the name Ali.

Discography

Albums and EPs

Solo studio albums

;Others
  • 2013: ''Coffret integral''

    Live albums

Other albums and EPs (collaborations)

;with Idéal Junior / Idéal J
  • 1992: La vie est brutale
  • 1996: O'riginal MC's sur une mission
  • 1998: Le Combat Continue
;with Mafia K-1 Fry
  • 1997: Les liens sacrés
  • 1999: Légendaire
  • 2003: La cerise sur le ghetto
  • 2007: ''Jusqu'à la mort''

    Singles

Collaborations