IAM

IAM: A Marseille Hip-Hop Legacy

Formed in Marseille, France, in late 1985, the group initially known as Lively Crew was founded by Akhenaton and Khéops. By the summer of 1987, under the new name B.Boys Stance, the collective expanded to include Shurik'n, Freeman, and Imhotep. The group officially became IAM in 1989, releasing their debut album, IAM Concept, the following year.

Signing with Virgin Records, IAM released De la planète Mars in 1991, achieving significant success in France. However, their breakthrough moment arrived in 1997 with the album L'école du micro d'argent. This landmark release quickly achieved gold status in France within two days and ultimately sold over a million copies, earning a diamond certification and bringing the group international recognition.

Solo Ventures and Continued Collaboration

Following the immense success of L'école du micro d'argent, individual members embarked on solo projects. Akhenaton released his solo debut, Métèque et mat, in 1995, preceding Shurik'n and Freeman's solo albums in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Many members also explored other creative avenues, including Akhenaton's 2000 film Comme un aimant. Despite these individual pursuits, IAM remained a cohesive unit, continuing to create music, culminating in the release of their album Revoir un printemps in 2003.