Sexion d'Assaut (), formerly known as 3ème Prototype (for "Troisième Prototype" ), was a French hip hop band formed in 2002, composed of eight Parisian rappers. They are signed to independent record label Wati B, which is under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment France.
The founding members were L.I.O. Black M, Maska and Lefa. In 2003, it became a collective as Maître Gims and JR O Crom joined in. Throughout its existence, it included about 20 rappers, but set-up changed from time to time. The group distinguishes itself of staying away from "bling bling" that other French rappers have adopted. They also retain the style of old school hip-hop, but keep underground influences and spent almost a decade fostering an underground fanbase before releasing their debut studio album L'École des points vitaux in 2010.
Their album L'École des points vitaux in 2010 went quadruple platinum. The album En attendant L'Apogée: les Chroniques du 75 in 2011 and L'Apogée in 2012 both went platinum and diamond respectively.
The group planned to reform in 2020 with a third album, Le Retour des Rois, and a national tour planned for 2021, but the album was cancelled despite the tour taking place.
Career
Debut (2002–2004) The Sexion d'Assaut group was formed in 2002 as a collective. It initially had around thirty members from Paris and its suburbs, then only those most attached to Sexion d'Assaut remained there. The collective is first formed around the group Assonance (L.I.O, Barack Adama, Lefa, Maska and Scrib'R), Prototype 3015 (Gims, JR O Crom and K.A.N.M.S) as well as other groups. Shortly after, solo artists Black M and Doomams joined the collective. The internal group 75 Neces'R, composed of Scrib'R, Akeur and Rod'R, released in cassette format the collective's first official project in 2002: an eponymous mixtape, with underground rappers like the group FMR or the rapper H Magnum.
In 2005, the names of the Assonance and Prototype 3015 groups disappeared in favor of the 3rd Prototype. This group included Barack Adama, Lefa, Maska, Gims and JR O Crom. There were also solo artists Black M, Doomams, R-Mak, Balistik, Anraye and L.I.O. (who was abroad at the time), with Jiba Jiba (Amos), Baby Joe (Jonathan Seri) and Dim'One (Khadim Lo) as managers. The first scenes of the group take place on the occasion of Fête de la Musique or town hall celebrations. It was during the time of Gang Yaba Gang. The young group teamed up to rent hours at the studio, have t-shirts made and, little by little, establish themselves on the Parisian scene.
The first projects (2005–2008) The group's meeting with Dawala, founder of the Wati B label, takes place shortly after in Châtelet-Les Halles, organized by H Magnum. It was in 2006 that the first project of a member of the collective came out. This is Black M with its title Le Pacte, a maxi produced in tacit complicity with a close friend, Bakry. This maxi contains eight tracks, the introduction of which, Le Coup finale, features Barack Adama, Gims and Anraye. If the collaborations with Dry are numerous, Demon One is quite distant from the group, with only one participation in the song Interdit en radio, in trio with Dry and Barack Adama, on the compilation Interdit en radio Vol.2. On 13 May 2006, the first mixtape of the internal group 3e Prototype, La Terre du milieu, was released under the Wati B label. Doomams participates in the track Freestyle - the same for Black M, which appears twice. R-Mak provides an interlude. Note also an appearance of Anraye.
Balistik, the “phantom” member of the collective, appears once on the title "Ça va ça vient". The song On t'a humilié contributes to the controversy surrounding the group concerning homophobia in September 2010. L.I.O., who went to study in the United States, did not return to the group until 2010 under the name L.I.O. Petrodollars. On 7 December 2006, it was the turn of Gims to go solo, with an Ep entitled Ceux qui dorment les yeux ouverts, in which Koma from the Scred Connexion participate, on the song of the same name, as well as a collaboration with the full group on the track Permanent "Tsunami permanent". In June 2007, the group released their first music video, "Histoire pire que vraie", followed a few months later by "Anti-tecktonik".
The first street album of the 3rd Prototype, entitled Le Renouveau, was released on 4 April 2008 under the Wati B label, in which we find the two previously clipped tracks, as well as featurings with Doomams on the title "Fils de lâche", Dry on Normal, Kizito on Survivor and R-Mak on "Gotham City", without forgetting, as usual, a good number of feats with Black M. Shortly after, R-Mak left the collective to devote himself to a solo career.
Directly after the release of the street album, the team worked on Les Chroniques du mois, their new songs as well as a freestyle were published every month between July and December 2008. During the month of December, the group released three street clips: "À 30 %", "Où sont les kickeurs?" and "Ah ouais paraît qu'j'suis doué", the third of which contains the clip for the song Even not the SMIC. On 9 January 2009, Les Chroniques du 75 is published on the Internet, a net-tape which brings together the sounds of the Chroniques du mois, a few tracks from the street album Le Renouveau and the mix-tape La terre du milieu and a few unreleased tracks. The goal of this net-tape was to expand their audience, around 3,000 people at the time according to them, and to promote the next street album.
L'École des points vitaux (2009–2010) The group released their first street album L'Écrasement de tête on 4 May 2009. They gained notoriety with the general public thanks to two clips: "T'es bête ou quoi?" and "Wati bon son" in collaboration with Dry. In order to promote the film Ong bak 2: Birth of the Dragon, the title "T'es bête ou quoi?" is used for the soundtrack of the film, featuring images from the film. Lefa announces in the Rap Mag of March 2010 the dissolution of the group 3e Prototype since the release of this street album. Consequently, Sexion d'Assaut is no longer a collective, but a group in its own right. This street album allows them to begin their first tour with many dates throughout France, where it is expected in full venues, to their surprise.
The group's debut album, L'École des points vitaux, was released on 29 March 2010, by Sony Music. It is the one in which L.I.O. Pétrodollars participates, on the song "Paname lève-toi". The album was a huge success, and sold over 19,000 copies in the first week. Titles like "Casquette à l'envers", "L'École des points vitaux" or "Mon gars sûr". The title "Casquette à l'envers" was not released because of Nadine Morano's statements, but it could have, as the group confided to Mustapha El Atrassi during a television interview: “We could have made this song after the recent statements by Nadine Morano. The Secretary of State had affirmed: "Me what I want from a young person, when he is French, it is (...) that he does not speak verlan, that he does not put his cap upside down. . It’s a way of saying that clothes don’t make a monk. ”15 The album was certified gold three weeks after its release. The title of the album L'École des points vitaux is a nod to the manga Fist of the North Star (Ken the Survivor in France). We can notice on the last page of the cover of L'École des points vitaux that Lefa writes on a blank sheet: “Next album: L'APO”. This would indicate a semblance of a title or an acronym for a new album: L'Apogée. The album L'École des points vitaux has a total of more than 400,000 copies sold, and is certified triple platinum.
The titles "Casquette à l'envers", "J'ai pas les loves", "Wati by Night" and the hit "Désolé" are a huge success with the general public. Change of atmosphere is part of the soundtrack of the film The A-Team. These pieces are put in the form of clips throughout 2010. Sexion d'Assaut begins a new tour throughout France, notably in the first part of the most famous rap duo in France, Suprême NTM, the 19 June 2010 at the Parc des Princes. On 6 June in Bercy, they were to open for American rapper Jay-Z, but due to a lack of consideration from their American counterparts, they decided not to open for the concert. They are also the subject of many parodies or other jokes, as in the after-sales service of Omar and Fred's broadcasts on Canal +, Willaxxx, or even in a clip by Kevin Razy and the other members of Sexion d'Homos. They are among the first French artists to exceed one million fans (with Daft Punk and David Guetta) on the Facebook community site, in August 2010.
L'Apogée (2011–2012) On 4 April 2011, the group released a mixtape called En attendant L'Apogée: les Chroniques du 75. The CD / DVD sells over 150,000 copies. All of the project's tracks have a clip on the DVD, accompanied by an exclusive documentary on the group's journey. On 18 November 2011, Sexion d'Assaut uploaded a freestyle entitled "Welcome to the Wa". In this new video, they announce that the first clip of L'Apogée will be called "Mets pas celle-là", which will be released on 11 December 2011 on the official Facebook of Sexion d'Assaut. In this video, Barack Adama and Gims also confirm that the album is completely finished. The album was officially released on 5 March 2012. On 20 December 2011, "Welcome to the Wa Part II" was released, and at the end of the freestyle, Black M announced that the next single from L'Apogée would be called "Disque d'or", on the group's official Facebook, Friday, 30 December. On Thursday 5 January, live on Skyrock, Sexion d'Assaut exclusively delivers the third extract from L'Apogée. During Planète Rap, the group shares their new single Before she leaves, saying that it is a music different from the others because it is sentimental. This song is probably a tribute to JR O Crom's mother who, according to the lyrics, left too soon.
L'Apogée was published on 5 March 2012. On the very day of the release, 10,000 copies sold. The album is certified gold the first week after having sold 66,000 copies. Two weeks after the release, the album is certified platinum disc. About two months after its release the album was declared a double platinum disc. On 22 May 2012, they filled the Salle de Bercy for the first time. The CD / DVD of this concert is due out on 19 November 2012. The second Bercy de Sexion d'Assaut took place on 15 October 2012. At the end of the concert, Maska announces that the reissue of L'Apogée will be available in stores at from January 2013. On 22 October 2012, the album L'Apogée was certified diamond disc with more than 539,000 copies sold. The album was reissued on 19 November at the same time as the DVD of the Bercy concert.
Consecration (2013–2019) After the immense success of L'Apogée, Sexion d'Assaut won two NRJ Music Awards on 26 January 2013 in the categories of “Francophone group / duo of the year” and “Francophone song of the year” for "Avant qu'elle parte". Two days later, the video Welcome to the WA Part was released. 4 with a documentary retracing the NRJ Music Awards of Sexion d'Assaut. In early 2013, rumors circulated about a possible separation of Sexion d'Assaut. To these rumors, Black M replies: "But who told you 'the Sexion is separating'? Gims will be released on 20 May Subliminal, me end of the year! Lefa musical break (personal life) JR O Crome and Doomams are preparing surprises for you, Maska too, still under the label Wati B, according to rumors!" On 31 January 2013, the specialized website Booska-P produced a documentary entitled Wati Ceremony, on Sexion d'Assaut's triumph at the NRJ Music Awards.