Prose Combat

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.

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]

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.