It is time to say goodbye to three decades of French rap. For Kool Shen and Joey Starr, the adventure began in 1990 and will have its epilogue at the end of November. For the occasion, the pioneers of Saint-Denis will be their farewell on the stage of the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on 22 and 23 November.

“Most of the disc or in concert together”, promises Kool Shen, ensuring that the duo will no longer conduct any musical project under the name of NTM. “There, it is for us to send the last volley”. But there is no question of speaking of “separation” for the man they call “Babtou”. “When we speak of a separation it induces that there is a problem, however, it is not with JoeyStarr”.

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“no One was ever justified in 1998 when we started our own artistic projects, or after the concerts of twenty years in 2008 and 2010. Because at the time it was not the end of NTM. Which leads us to the record now, is that there will be no new disc. I don’t find it very interesting to go on stage without proposing something new,” argued Bruno Lopes of his real name.

“NTM, it’s a trick of the emulsion. The music is no longer the centre of what we do”

NTM

After their seconds reunion, there is a battery a year, during which the two acolytes have been fever at Paris-Bercy, a 5th studio album was in preparation, had announced their entourage, while they were coming out in September, a single with the rapper Fianso, flag . But finally, nothing. For JoeyStarr, “NTM it’s a trick of the emulsion. Gold one is taken, each of our side all the time. The music is just no longer the centre of what we do”.

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In four albums between 1990 and 1998, Kool Shen and JoeyStarr, first passed by the dance (breakdance, smurf) and graffiti, have made NTM the largest group of French hip-hop. After 30 years of activity on the front crowded of French rap, NTM this is first Authentik and its firebrand prophetic tomorrow’s world and 1993… I press the trigger , with the words virulent Font and I press the trigger , boycotted by the radio stations.

Paris under the bombs (1995) was their first big commercial success, buoyed by the single The fever . Before the consecration, Supreme NTM (1998), which became over time one of the great classics of the French rap (800,000 copies sold) with its hits My Benz and Lets not drag your f they .

incisive, a production very early on is neat, the style NTM is imposed, worn by two friends additional: Kool Shen the flow unstoppable, Joey Starr animal rabies. Despite the success, the 2000s will be those of silence for NTM, JoeyStarr and Kool Shen leading a solo career, while enjoying the business of an actor in film and theatre.

The two rappers of the Seine-Saint-Denis are, however, finish in beauty the adventure NTM with a last mini-tour of 14 dates. They will occur in Latin America, before two dates in Brussels and in Geneva, on 15 and 16 November, before making their farewells on the parisian scene.

upcoming projects

But there was no question of not working for so many, the adventure continues at the theatre for Joey Starr. First, with Eloquence, at the Assembly , directed by Jérémie Lippmann, played occasionally in theatres and unusual locations.

on the other hand, Béatrice Dalle announced in January a collaboration with his former companion in Elephant Man the theatre of the Folies Bergere in Paris, next November. David Bobée will stage this piece that will be inspired by the life of the deformed Joseph Merrick, who was the object of curiosity and ridicule in victorian England.

And this is not all, the duo confirmed that a series biopic dedicated to their career in the French hip-hop is in production. For Netflix and Arte, Katell Quillévéré and Hélier Cistern prepare a series that traces, in eight episodes, from their beginnings to their first big concert, the success of the duo’s iconic of the golden age of French rap.