X a.k.a X-Men - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

History

Appeared in the rap as from 1995, X Men belonged to the vagueness of new MC' S which broke in France in 1996, and which allowed its explosion. Resulting from Ménilmontant (20th), Cassidy and Hill G (more known under the name of Ill) initially belonged to the stable Time Bomb at the side of MC' S prestigious: Oxmo Puccino, Pit Baccardi, their Jedi close relations and Lunatic, Red Devil, Ziko… Hifi, also at Time Bomb, formed to some extent part of the group puiqu' it appeared on the majority of their services.

X Men were without any doubt the headlight group of the installation Time Bomb. Their first official piece, " I attack mike" , left on compilation Time Bomb (1996), then into maximum. The face has takes again the original piece, the instrumental one, as well as a version remix. Opposite B, one finds Red Diable for his title " the man whom one names Diable Rouge" but more especially the piece poses cut " Time Bomb explose" with what can be regarded as one of best the punchlines of the French rap, and that one owes in Ill: " Without do reason, I release bottles of flake of flow, you attacks? ah ouais? your flow they is water drops on my K-way." Their at the same time fluid technical style and hooker are their trademark, which distinguishes them from the mass of the copiers of the American rap. A few months after, X Men strike once again a large blow famous compilation Hostile Hip Hop (at the end of 96) with traditional: " hang them, bandage them, descend to them " , always also technical, mélodieux and lyrical. One always finds at their Hifi side which returns the rhyme to them. Technical side, X Men improve still a little more with one text thoroughly prepared to let it run: " Be to you blowpipe if you make zeal, I do not congratulate you, potato in Zen, your teeth embrace the sky, I add my grain of salt, cuts you the ailes.". New success for X Men which confirm their talent.

The epopee Time Bomb is with its apogee. The members of the crew are often invited emission of Marc, Original Bombattak, which sees following one another the cream of the mc' S of then for sessions freestyle of anthology, but there still, it is Time Bomb, and particularly Ill and Cassidy, which are involved more in the cassettes of Parisian walkmans and franciliens.

One then finds them on the BO of My 6-T goes ace-er for a title which makes figure of one of all the best pieces of French rap, " Return to the pyramides" , which by its abstraction very impressed of reality, made up of comparisons and long-drawn-out metaphors, on a sound of hypnotizing violin sees to be written a universal message of the daily newspaper. All is in the insinuation: " hatred justifies me, I have a train moreover, I leads the engine. Detach the coaches, born the year of the dragon." Throughout these large appearances, the group always connects the mix-slaps in company of Time Bomb: Poska, Passes Master key (Operation Punch, Logilo and the others do not escape the phenomenon X Men.

Their following gross appearance is done then on the album Sad Hill (at the end of 97) where they release " It is justifiable" and on Mysta D where only Cassidy poses with the Specialists and Pit. New pearls, new successes, the two princes are then made well know beyond the underground. But because of different, the group leaves Time Bomb Crew, and eclipses during long months.

The rumors go then good progress. But X-Men, renamed X for legal reasons do not hang up again. Even if they completely stop the rap during long months, they return in studio for mijoter finally the album without to have touched beforehand of microphone. Some titles of which " When you shout with the faillite" are put out of box with their appointed producer, Géraldo. But nonsatisfied, they take again all to zero.

" Young people, Culprits and Libres" , first so much awaited album, is buckled in three too short weeks. All the texts are written in the same amount of time. But speed rhyme not here with effectiveness. The unit is of a level cruelly lower than it with what one could expect. The flows, particularly that of Ill are worked and one can undoubtedly reproach them for not having taken the mic before entering in studio. Slackened on the level of the technique of the flow, X Men neglect one of the essential aspects which made their success. On the level of the sound, Geraldo dissociates usual productions but that does not vary much: one sails from one title to another without noticing real difference with share on some titles (One One One, God with blessed my clan). The texts are however with the height. In featuring, one finds Jedi, Watchos and Celsius, which form from now on with them 3 the Diplomatz Ghetto, on two titles not too mals.

This being known as, the total level of the album is good. Indeed, X had placed the bar very high; here quality drops but remains satisfactory. One can appreciate titles posed. This relative disappointment explains the thin success gained by the album which could claim with a high score. Even if Skyrock discovers the group (it is always necessary to await the exit of the album with them!), that does not inflate the sales figures so much. Today, X always inspire the respect. But their statute evolved/moved: they became a group among others, without strong characteristic. It should be said that this relative failure of the album cramés them a little. And they acknowledge it afterwards them-even a few months: their album was not well prepared, quality was not really there. They at the time project to remake several titles to show them under another day but the project really does not succeed. They concentrate rather on the Section project with the CMP Famillia, which must gather the cream of the MC' S of the Parisian east (ATK, CMP, Repentis, Refrés, including all taxes…) However, they do not hold the main role in this collective album because the first places are occupied by ATK and CMP Familia. Result: one finds them finally only on one title which they fairly ensure in company of the Diplomatz Ghetto. Lastly, one can find them on some mix-slaps including two shutters of Bombattack Original of the organizer and dirctor of the programmes of Generation, the Parisian radio rap. One can hear there freestyles made in 1996 and 1997, history to have the nostalgia of the time when the catches of microphone of X Men were true events. One nevertheless finds new titles which are of a good level in particular a title with Nakk (Soldafada)

It is important to underline their participation in the side of Lunatic, Oxmo Puccino and Pit Bacardi, with one of the most traditional freestyles of the French rap: " Guidon". Recorded in 1996, the level reached by the texts, the instrumental one and the floods in this piece remain unequalled to date.

In 2006, Ill left double Cd, titrated " Thus is Ill" , composed of some news and its larger freestyles, all traditional, Cassidy on its side left the pieces where it shows a great maturity lyricale, like " Story" case; , " passes to me the sous" , " X-vision" and " Vis-a-vis face". Cassidy which this year left a mix-slap that it gratuitment diffuses on its myspace, " Metronome concept" , and envisages to leave its Ménilcity album on September 17th, 2007.