Prose Combat

Prose Combat
Studio album by MC Solaar
Released	9 February 1994 (1994-02-09)
Recorded	1993–1994
Genre	Jazz rap
Length	55:52
Label	Cohiba
Producer	Jimmy Jay
MC Solaar chronology
Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo (1991) Prose Combat (1994) Paradisiaque (1997)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Guardian	[2]
Music Week	[3]
Pitchfork	8.0/10 [4]
Q	[5]
Record Collector	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]

Prose Combat is the second studio album by French rapper MC Solaar, released in 1994 by Cohiba Records. Its success propelled him to international fame.

An outtake from the album sessions was "Comme dans un film" (falsely known as "John Woo"). This song was featured on the album La Haine – musique inspirees du film (La Haine – music inspired by the film ).

Track listing

French and US editions

1. "Aubade" (Jimmy Jay, MC Solaar) – 0:35
2. "Obsolète" (Jay) – 3:02
3. "Nouveau western" (Gainsbourg, MC Solaar) – 4:34; samples "Bonnie and Clyde" by Serge Gainsbourg
4. "À la claire fontaine" (Jay, M'Barali) – 2:59
5. "Superstarr" (MC Solaar) – 3:03
6. "La concubine de l'hémoglobine" (Jay, M'Barali) – 4:49
7. "Dévotion" (MC Solaar) – 4:26
8. "Temps Mort" (Jay, MC Solaar) – 3:41
9. "L'NMIACCd'HTCK72KPDP" (Les Sages Poètes De La Rue) – 5:04
10. "Séquelles" (Barali, Jay) – 3:37
11. "Dieu ait son âme" (Barali, Pigale Boom Bass) – 4:46
12. "À dix de mes disciples" (MC Solaar) – 3:45
13. "La fin justifie les moyens" (MC Solaar) – 4:57
14. "Relations humaines" (Bambi, MC Solaar) – 3:28
15. "Prose combat" (Jay, M'Barali) – 3:06

UK edition

The UK edition replaces "Obsolète", "L'NMIACCd'HTCK72KPDP", and "Dieu ait son âme" with "Le free style d'obsolète", "Solaar Power", and "I'm Doin' Fine", respectively. The sequence of the tracks was also altered.

1. "Aubade" (Jimmy Jay, MC Solaar) – 0:35
2. "Le free style d'obsolète" (Jimmy Jay, MC Solaar) – 6:00
3. "À la claire fontaine" (Jay, M'Barali) – 2:59
4. "Superstarr" (MC Solaar) – 3:03
5. "Solaar Power" (JP "Bluey" Maunick, MC Solaar) – 4:51
6. "Relations humaines" (Bambi, MC Solaar) – 3:28
7. "Nouveau western" (Gainsbourg, MC Solaar) – 4:34
8. "La concubine de l'hémoglobine" (Jay, M'Barali) – 4:49
9. "Dévotion" (MC Solaar) – 4:26
10. "Séquelles" (Barali, Jay) – 3:37
11. "I'm Doin' Fine" (Storch, Thompson, Malik, Trotter, Hubbard) – 8:19
12. "À dix de mes disciples" (MC Solaar) – 3:45
13. "La fin justifie les moyens" (MC Solaar) – 4:57
14. "Temps mort" (Jay, MC Solaar) – 3:41
15. "Prose combat" (Jay, M'Barali) – 3:06

Personnel

• Boom Bass – scratching, sampling
• Jimmy Jay – scratching, production
• Kiwi – voices
• MC Solaar – vocals
• Sinclair – harmony vocals
• Laurent Vernerey – bass
• Derin Young – vocals, harmony vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994–1995) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [8] 28 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [9] 31 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [10] 81 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [11] 12 Chart (2021) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [12] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [13] 50 Chart (1995) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14] 40

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Belgium (BRMA) [15]	Gold	25,000*
France (SNEP) [16]	2× Gold	200,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [17]	Gold	25,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Love, Bret. "Prose Combat – MC Solaar". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 June 2020.
2. Glanvill, Rick (2 December 1994). "MC Solaar: Prose Combat (Talkin' Loud/Phonogram)". The Guardian .
3. "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week . 3 December 1994. p. 23. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
4. Cardew, Ben (5 October 2021). "MC Solaar: Prose Combat". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 October 2021.
5. Roberts, David (January 1995). "MC Solaar: Prose Combat". Q . No. 100. p. 257.
6. Allen, Jeremy (Christmas 2021). "MC Solaar: Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo / Prose Combat / Paradisiaque". Record Collector . No. 526. p. 119.
7. Ehrlich, Dimitri (15 December 1994). "MC Solaar: Prose Combat". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 14 September 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
8. "Austriancharts.at – MC Solaar – Prose combat" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
9. "Ultratop.be – MC Solaar – Prose combat" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
10. "Offiziellecharts.de – MC Solaar – Prose combat" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
11. "Swisscharts.com – MC Solaar – Prose combat". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
12. "Ultratop.be – MC Solaar – Prose combat" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
13. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1994". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
14. "Rapports Annuels 1995". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
15. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1995". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
16. "French album certifications – MC Solaar – Prose Combat" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved 4 February 2019.
17. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Prose Combat')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 February 2019.