Launched on February ninth, 2024 Advert vitam æternam is the eleventh album launched by the multi-awarded French-Senegalese hip hop singer, Booba. It was an sudden return to the musical scene as he had beforehand claimed that “Extremely” , his tenth album, could be the final one.
Very famend on the French hip hop scene, Booba – from his unique identify Elie Yaffa – was born in 1976 in Sèvres within the North of France. His father is Senegalese, he’s a really well-known mannequin and animate French funk nightclubs in Paris. After the divorce of his mother and father, Booba is raised by his mom (of Belgian origin) within the South of France
He adopts his creative surname “Booba” in reference to his Senegalese cousin, Boubakar, after his first journey to Senegal. When he comes again he begins doing music with Ali, a French singer of Moroccan origin. If their album is the primary impartial album to be rewarded with the gold document, Booba then faces an 18 months sentence in jail. Over his solo profession, Booba will then go from creative successes to scandals.
In Signé, the fifth music of its final album Advert Vitam Æternam, Booba echoes one in every of his most well-known songs : DKR. With very related musical development, each songs exploit the lifetime of members of the Senegalese diaspora residing in common outskirts in French cities. In each, Booba additionally makes many references to Senegalese cultural references, historic, political and present social points.
If Signé begins like this :
C’est pas l’rrain-té qui m’quitte
(Denza)
C’est pas l’rrain-té qui m’quitte, c’est moi, j’quitte le terrain
–
It’s not the hood that’s leaving me
(Denza)
It’s not the hood that’s leaving me, it’s me, I’m leaving the hood
DKR – which stands as an acronym for the Dakar airport – begins like that on an analogous rhythm:
C’est pas le quartier qui me quitte
C’est moi j’quitte le quartier
–
It’s not hood that’s leaving me
It’s me, I’m leaving the hood
In French train-té (terrain in verlan, slang) and quartier each stands for the hood. Booba thus expresses his willingness to flee the hood, which is infused by rivalry for cash, medication and violence.
In Signé he mentions violence and the way killings are frequent in these hoods.
T’as cru t’étais quelqu’un? T’allumes, on t’éteint
On arrive en ‘Ghini, on revient du D1
Les grands tuent les petits, comme Abel et Caïn
J’suis sur Prometheus, pas l’tapis d’Alladin
Neuf mois dans l’utérus, dans l’cerceuil à la fin
–
You thought you have been anyone? You’re on the lookout for bother, we flip you off
We arrive in ‘Ghini, we come again from D1
The massive ones kill the little ones, like Abel and Cain
I’m on Prometheus, not Alladin’s carpet
9 months within the womb, within the coffin on the finish
In DKR he talked about drug trafficking and the cash pursuits that encompass it :
Envoie le hasch’, les tens of millions money
Faut mailler, mailler, mailler
–
Ship weed, tens of millions of {dollars}
It’s worthwhile to generate profits, cash, mone
A difficulty that can be recurrent in Signé :
Ni plata, ni plomo, ils ont fait que parler
Neither plata, nor plomo, this was bullshit
He mentions present social and societal issues undergone by Senegal and Africa usually:
In DKR he talks about compelled marriage :
Africa, tu n’as pas d’âge
Ils veulent te marier, marier, marier
Ton nom de famille sera prise otage
À quoi sert d’être lion en cage?
–
Africa, you’re ageless
They need to marry you, marry you, marry you
Your loved ones identify can be taken hostage
What’s the purpose of being a caged lion?
and in addition of compelled financial migration in the direction of Europe due to the lack of job alternatives in Africa :
Il aimait l’Afrique mais la mula l’a poussé à tailler, tailler
He cherished Africa however cash compelled him to flee
Cultural references are made in each songs, as he talked about the “tiep bou dienn”, a conventional Senegalese fish preparation.
Booba refers to Senegalese colonial historical past in each songs. Speaking concerning the “Tirailleurs Sénégalais”, Senegalese troopers that joined the French army throughout WW2. Regardless of their assist, they obtain low recognition in France. Nonetheless, getting back from warfare they have been admired by native individuals in Senegal.
Pas récompensé comme un tirailleur, ce qui est dû n’se réclame pas
On m’a toujours dit d’aller voir ailleurs, j’suis revenu vainqueur à chaque fois
Not rewarded like a skirmisher, what’s due can’t be claimed
I’ve all the time been informed to go elsewhere, and I’ve come again victorious each time
In DKR, he denounces the slave commerce :
Même noir j’pourrais rougir de haine
Esclave n’a pas de remise de peine
Ceux qui ne veulent pas faire de enterprise
Je vous en prie, descendez là
–
Even black I might blush with hate
Slaves obtained no remission
Those that don’t need to do enterprise
Please, come down right here
The title Advert vitam Aeternam subsequently appears to mirror the timelessness of Booba hip hop songs that echo the lifetime of the Senegalese diaspora and are infused with Senegalese cultural references.
