Albert who worked hard at his school studies passed his ‘baccalauréat’ without any problem and went on to university, graduating with a law degree a few years later. It was during his time at university that Albert was to make an encounter that would change the rest of his life. Attending a sociology lecture one day in 1990, Albert happened to sit next to Claude M'barali (who was to become the internationally famous French rap star MC Solaar). Discovering a mutual passion for rap and hip hop, the pair got on like a house on fire and encouraged each other with their song-writing.

In fact Albert, aka Ménélik (the young rapper had adopted the name of a famous Ethiopian king) had been writing his own songs for a while now. At university he would go on to write "Tu es le leader" ("You Are the Leader"), a hard-hitting song about Malcolm X. Helped and encouraged by their sociology lecturer, Ménélik, MC Solaar and a posse of young rappers were invited onto an Italian television show where Ménélik would perform his song "Tu es le leader".

In 1992 Ménélik got another big break when MC Solaar introduced the young rapper to his DJ friend Jimmy Jay. Jay, who was working as a producer at the time and putting together a compilation of hip hop remixes, was most impressed by Ménélik’s songwriting talent. He immediately invited the young rapper into the studio to record "Un petit rien de jazz", which featured on the compilation album "Les Cool Sessions de Jimmy Jay", released in 1993. Ménélik’s contribution to the album attracted a great deal of interest and the young rapper was soon inundated with offers to work with a number of groups.

One of these offers resulted in the young French rapper working with the English group RPM (Revolution Per Minute), who were based in Brighton. Ménélik was responsible for writing the group’s song "Sorti des ombres". Later that year the French rapper went on to work with the Japanese group the Silent Poets (for whom he composed "Words and Silence") and DJ Katemura (for whom he wrote "Child's View").

But Ménélik’s major breakthrough on the European music scene came when he recorded "Quelle aventure" with the German group No Sé. This catchy disco-rap single went on to become the summer smash hit of 95, establishing Ménélik as a household name.

The great success of this single meant that the time was finally ripe for Ménélik’s début solo album. So the young rapper went into the studio to begin work on "Phenomenelik". Having proved himself as a talented songwriter, Ménélik did not need any help when it came to the lyrics, but he did need a hand with the music. Thus it was that he began an extremely successful collaboration with his old friend Jimmy Jay, Logistik (the DJ from the French rap group Sages Poètes de la Rue) and Seeq (renowned for his musical programming work with French rap star Soon E MC).

After putting the finishing touches to "Phenomenelik", Ménélik was invited to take part in MC Solaar’s giant rap tour in the spring of 95. Ménélik’s live performances proved a great hit and the release of his début album was eagerly awaited by rap fans. "Phenomenelik", released in July of that year, did not disappoint fans’ expectations. Ménélik’s smooth hip hop style, which fused piano and a vibrant brass section with a catchy rap beat, quickly caught on with the French public.

Immediately after the release of his début album, Ménélik embarked upon an extensive international tour, performing concerts throughout Europe, as well as in Canada, Japan and Africa. The young rapper ended the tour in November with a triumphant show at the Elysée Montmartre in Paris, where the young rapper appeared on stage with two fellow rap groups from Bobigny, la Cliqua and la Tribu. Needless to say, the trio brought the house down.

After scooping the award for Best Male Newcomer of the Year at the "Victoires de la Musique" awards in February 96, Ménélik signed a new recording deal in April with the Small label (an off-shoot of Sony Music). At the end of the year the young rapper went into the studio to begin work on his new album, entitled "Je me souviens". Recorded in Paris, and mixed at the Morin Heights Studio near Montreal, the album was released on June 17th 1997.

Before the release of the album Ménélik was involved in a number of other important projects in 1997. In January the rapper set up his own production company so that he could launch young up-and-coming talents in the rap world. Then in the spring he went on to record a song for the soundtrack of Jean-François Richet’s film "Ma 6T va crack-er". In April Ménélik joined forces with 15 of the top artists on the French rap scene (including Assassin, Fabe, Akhenaton from the group IAM and Ö) to record a special compilation album entitled "11 mn 30 contre les lois racistes". All proceeds from the album were donated to MIB (an association fighting to improve the harsh living conditions in the French suburbs).

In the summer of 97 Ménélik focussed on his own solo career once again, releasing a new single "Faut se lâcher" as a foretaste of his second album "Je me souviens". This second album, more mature and reflective than the first, stood out amongst other offerings on the rap scene because of its carefully crafted songwriting. It also featured a rather unusual track for a rap artist, Ménélik choosing to record a cover of Claude Nougaro’s 1965 hit "A bout de souffle". At first glance a 60’s pop tune may appear to have little to do with the 90s music scene, but a careful listen to the lyrics will explain Ménélik’s apparently bizarre choice. (The lyrics of "A bout de souffle" describe a gang of police cars chasing the hero through the city streets - a telling foretaste, in Ménélik's eyes, of the urban violence and social problems of the French suburbs in the 90s).

The young rapper rocketed back to the forefront of the French music scene in 2000 with a new entitled "OQP". The album, which proved to be as popular as ever, displayed a new maturity in the lyrics, which manage to deal with topical hard-hitting issues without falling into hardcore rap stereotypes. Ménélik's new album also includes a few unexpected surprises such as a cover of the Aznavour classic "Tu t'laisses aller" and a special Ménélik adaptation of a song by the Australian group Men at Work.

Ménélik's career has not been without its ups and downs. He was dropped by his major record company in 2001 and it was only thanks to the intervention of Cristal Records, a local label from La Rochelle, that he was able to bring out his new album "E-Pop Attitude" on 16 October 2001. The album failed to make much of an impact on the French music scene however.

While Ménélik’s style is smoother and softer on the ear than hardcore French rap groups such as NTM and Assassin, the young rapper’s lyrics can be as hard-hitting as his French and American counterparts. Whether Ménélik is evoking the problems of racism, violence, drugs, sex or the abuse of police powers, he does so through carefully-crafted lyrics and finely honed melodies. 

March 2002