Élie Thitia Yaffa (French pronunciation: [eli jafa]; born 9 December 1976), better known under his stage name Booba, is a French rapper.
Booba | |
|---|---|
 Booba in 2019 at Vieilles Charrues Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Élie Thitia Yaffa[1] |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 9 December 1976 Sèvres, Île-de-France, France |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
After a brief stint as a break dancer in the early 1990s, Booba partnered with his friend Ali to form Lunatic. The duo released a critically acclaimed album in 2000 but disbanded in 2003. Booba has since embarked on a successful solo career, selling more than 10 million discs over his career[2] and becoming the most downloaded artist (legally) in France.[3] Booba is praised for the quality of his flow and beats but often criticized because of the controversial nature of his lyrics. He has also established the rap label Tallac Records, and developed a line of jewellery.
Life and career
Élie Yaffa was born on 9 December 1976 in the outskirts of Paris in Sèvres. His father is Senegalese and his mother is French of Mosellan and Belgian descent.
With his friend Ali they formed the duo Lunatic in 1994. Unable to secure a record deal from a major label because of their controversial lyrics, they created their own independent record label 45 Scientific in 1999. The following year, Lunatic released its first and only album entitled Mauvais œil.
In 2002, Booba released his debut solo album Temps mort. He followed this up with four further albums: Panthéon, Ouest Side (the most successful),[4] 0.9 and Lunatic. In late 2012, he released his sixth solo album Futur. In whole, Booba has ten disks certified, six Disques d'Or (Gold album), three Disques de platine (Platinum album) and one Double disque de platine (Double-Platinum album).[5] In 2011, Booba won the "My Youtube" contest, ahead of popular artists like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Sexion D'Assaut, Shakira, Stromae,...[6]
Musical style
Booba was influenced by the American hip-hop scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s – Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, and Biggie Smalls. Dark melodies accompanied with raw lyrics, typical of the rap from New York, are present on every album of his. He is often criticized for being an apologist for easy money and murder. Booba advocates a reduction in the taxes and claims himself in support of individual freedom.[7] Racism is a recurring topic of his songs (see for example "Couleur ébène", "Pitbull", "Ma Couleur"), although he sometimes deliberately advocates communitarian positions.[8]
Other ventures
Booba is also the creator of a streetwear brand, Ünkut, one of the most popular brands of this type in France.[9][10]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [11] | BEL (Fl) | BEL (Wa) [12] | SWI [13] | |||
| 2002 | Temps mort | 2 | – | 41 | – |
|
| 2004 | Panthéon | 3 | – | 26 | 25 |
|
| 2006 | Ouest Side | 1 | – | 12 | 18 |
|
| 2008 | 0.9 | 6 | – | 27 | 60 |
|
| 2010 | Lunatic | 1 | – | 1 | 24 |
|
| 2012 | Futur | 4 | 74 | 5 | 14 |
|
| 2013 | Futur 2.0 (reissue) | 6 | – | – | 28 | |
| 2015 | D.U.C | 1 | 40 | 1 | 2 |
|
| 2015 | Nero Nemesis | 7 | 127 | 7 | 9 |
|
| 2017 | Trône | 1 | 39 | 3 | 12 |
|
| 2021 | Ultra | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
|
| 2024 | Ad vitam æternam | 1 [16] | 137 | 1 | 3 | |
Mixtapes
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [11] | BEL (Wa) [12] | SWI [13] | |||
| 2005 | Autopsie Vol. 1 | 66 | – | – | |
| 2007 | Autopsie Vol. 2 | 8 | 98 | – | |
| 2009 | Autopsie Vol. 3 | 2 | 19 | – | |
| 2011 | Autopsie Vol. 4 | 2 | 32 | 64 | |
| 2017 | Autopsie 0 | 20 | 48 | * FRA: Gold[14] | |
Singles
As lead artist
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Certification | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [11] | BEL (Wa) [12] | SWI [13] | ||||
| 2002 | "Destinée" (featuring Kayna Samet) | 41 | – | – | Temps mort | |
| 2004 | "Avant de partir" (featuring Léya Masry) | 24 | 17 (Ultratip*) | – | Panthéon | |
| 2006 | "Au bout des rêves" (featuring Trade Union & Mister Rudie) | 22 | 4 (Ultratip*) | – | Ouest Side | |
| 2010 | "Caesar Palace" (featuring P. Diddy) | – | – | – | ||
| "Ma couleur" | – | 24 (Ultratip*) | – | Lunatic | ||
| "Jour de paye" | – | – | – | |||
| 2011 | "Paradis" | 99 | – | – | ||
| "Comme une étoile" | – | 36 (Ultratip*) | – | |||
| "Paname" | 48 | – | – | Autopsie Vol. 4 | ||
| "Bakel City Gang" | 30 | 43*(Ultratip*) | – | |||
| "Vaisseau Mère" | – | – | – | |||
| "Scarface" | 20 | 33 (Ultratip*) | – |
| ||
| 2012 | "Caramel" | 10 | 42 | – | Futur | |
| "Tombé pour elle" | 16 | 44 | – | |||
| 2013 | "A.C. Milan" | 7 | 19 | – | Futur 2.0 | |
| "T.L.T" | 16 | 44 | – | |||
| "Turfu" | 11 | 34 | – | |||
| "RTC" | 13 | 15 (Ultratip*) | – | |||
| "Parlons peu" | 5 | 27 | – | |||
| "Longueur d'avance" (featuring Maître Gims) | 13 | 48 | – | |||
| 2014 | "La mort leur va si bien" | 7 | – | – | D.U.C | |
| "OKLM" | 1 | 7 | 72 | |||
| 2015 | "Tony Sosa" | 14 | 46 | – | ||
| "LVMH" | 28 | 35 (Ultratip*) | – | |||
| "Mon pays" | 37 | – | – | |||
| "Validée" (featuring Benash) | 2 | 41 | – | Nero Nemesis | ||
| "Attila" | 35 | – | – | |||
| "Génération Assassin" | 40 | – | – | |||
| 2016 | "JDC" | 10 | 21 (Ultratip*) | – | Autopsie 0 | |
| "Salside" | 8 | 23 (Ultratip*) | – |
| ||
| "E.L.E.P.H.A.N.T." | 1 | 39 | – |
| Trône | |
| "DKR" | 1 | 42 | 42 |
| ||
| 2017 | "Daniel Sam" | 27 [17] | 11 (Ultratip*) | – |
| Non-album single |
| "Nougat" | 2 [18] | 42 | 61 |
| Trône | |
| 2018 | "Gotham" | – | 17 | 48 |
| |
| "BB" | – | 17 | 42 |
| ||
| "Kyll" (with Médine) | 2 | 34 | 62 |
| ||
| 2019 | "PGP" | 1 | 9 | 22 |
| Non-album singles |
| "Arc-en-Ciel" | 1 | 16 | 37 |
| ||
| "Freestyle Pirate" | 42 | 28 (Ultratip*) | – | |||
| "Glaive" | 10 | 13 (Ultratip*) | – |
| ||
| 2020 | "Cavaliero" | 28 | 29 (Ultratip*) | – | ||
| "Jauné" (featuring Zed) | 1 | 25 | 26 |
| ||
| "Dolce Vita" | 6 | 47 | 51 |
| ||
| "5G" | 1 [19] | 16 | 28 | |||
| 2021 | "Ratpi World" | 1 | 27 | 34 |
| |
| "Mona Lisa" (featuring JSX) | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Ultra | |
| "Azerty" | 11 | 23 | – | |||
| "Kayna" | 4 | 40 | 55 |
| Non-album singles | |
| "Plaza Athénée" | 10 | – | – | |||
| "Dragon" | 22 | – | 77 | |||
| "Variant" | 7 | 47 | 65 | |||
| "Geronimo" | – | 41 | 35 | |||
| "Leo Messi" | – | 48 | 72 | |||
| 2022 | "Koa" | – | 47 | – | ||
| 2023 | "Sport Billy" | 10[20] | – | – | ||
| 2024 | "6G" | – | 32 | 44 | Ad vitam æternam | |
| "Rebel" | 7[20] | 45 | – | |||
| "Saga" | 4[20] | 41 | – | |||
| "Dolce Camara" (featuring SDM) | 2[20] | 14 | – | |||
*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.
As featured artist
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [11] | BEL (Wa) [12] | SWI [13] | ||||
| 2011 | "Corner" (Gato featuring Booba & Philly Poe) | – | – | – | ||
| "Cruella" (Shay featuring Booba) | – | – | – | |||
| 2012 | "Call of Bitume" (Rim'K featuring Booba) | 72 | – | – | Rim'K album Chef de famille | |
| 2013 | "L.E.F" (Kaaris featuring Booba) | 122 | – | – | ||
| 2014 | "Même tarif " (Alonzo featuring Booba) | 8 | 39 | – | Alonzo album Règlement de comptes | |
| 2015 | "A.T.R" (Twinsmatic featuring Booba) | 145 | – | – | Twinsmatic album Nowhere | |
| 2016 | "Here" (Christine and the Queens featuring Booba) | 52 | – | – | ||
| "Rouge et bleu" (Kalash featuring Booba) | 15 | 33 (Ultratip) | – | * FRA: Platinum[14] | Kalash album Kaos | |
| "N.W.A." (Kalash featuring Booba) | 49 | – | – | |||
| "M.L.C" (Niska featuring Booba) | 46 | – | – | Niska album Zifukoro | ||
| "Infréquentables" (Dosseh featuring Booba) | 19 | 13 (Ultratip*) | – | * FRA: Diamond[14] | ||
| "Kiname" (Fally Ipupa featuring Booba) | 10 | 38 | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| 2017 | "Mula" (Siboy featuring Booba) | 9 | 32 (Ultratip*) | – | ||
| "Ghetto" (Benash featuring Booba) | 10 | 16 (Ultratip*) | – | * FRA: Diamond[14] | ||
| "Oh bah oui" (Lacrim featuring Booba) | 2 | – | 48 | * FRA: Platinum[14] | Lacrim album Force & Honneur | |
| "Tuba Life" (Niska featuring Booba) | 2 | 9 (Ultratip*) | 29 | * FRA: Diamond[14] | Niska album Commando | |
| 2018 | "MQTB" (Dosseh featuring Booba) | 1 | 25 (Ultratip*) | – | ||
| "Madrina" (Maes featuring Booba) | 24 | 31 | – | * FRA: Diamond[14] | Maes album Pure | |
| "Sale mood" (Bramsito featuring Booba) | 1 | 48 | – | * FRA: Platinum[14] | ||
| 2019 | "Médicament" (Niska featuring Booba) | 1 | 26 | 43 | * FRA: Platinum[14] | Niska album Mr Sal |
| "Haï" (Gato featuring Booba) | 21 | – | – | |||
| 2020 | "Blanche" (Maes featuring Booba) | 2 | 49 | 10 | * FRA: Diamond[14] | Maes album Les derniers salopards |
| "La zone" (SDM featuring Booba) | 28 | – | – | |||
| "Charbon" (Leto featuring Booba) | 27 | – | – | Leto album 100 visages | ||
| "Tout gâcher" (Green Montana featuring Booba) | 25 | 9 (Ultratip*) | 80 | Green Montana album Alaska | ||
| "Pompeii" (JSX featuring Booba) | 8 | 23 (Ultratip*) | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| 2021 | "Daddy" (SDM featuring Booba) | 14 | – | – | SDM album Ocho | |
| "32" (Dala featuring Booba) | 65 | – | – | |||
| "Kayna" (Kayna Samet featuring Booba) | 106 | – | – | |||
| "GTA" (JSX featuring Booba) | 20 | – | – | |||
*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.
Other charted songs
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [11] | BEL (Wa) [12] | SWI [13] | ||||
| 2012 | "Jimmy" | 108 | – | – | Futur | |
| "Kalash" (featuring Kaaris) | 116 | – | – | |||
| "Wesh Morray" | 121 | – | – | |||
| "Rolex" (featuring Gato) | 131 | – | – | |||
| "Tout c'que j'ai" | 150 | – | – | |||
| "C'est la vie" (featuring 2 Chainz) | 153 | – | – | |||
| "1.8.7" (featuring Rick Ross) | 158 | – | – | |||
| "2Pac" | 191 | – | – | |||
| 2013 | "2.0" | 41 | – | – | Future 2.0 | |
| "Une vie" | 44 | – | – | |||
| "Billets verts" | 87 | – | – | |||
| 2015 | "Temps mort 2.0" (featuring Lino) | 58 | – | – | D.U.C | |
| "G-Love" (featuring Farruko) | 69 | – | – | |||
| "3 G" | 70 | – | – | |||
| "Caracas" | 116 | – | – | |||
| "D.U.C" | 84 | – | – | |||
| "Bellucci" (featuring Future) | 86 | – | – | |||
| "Loin d'ici" | 112 | – | – | |||
| "Les meilleurs" (featuring 40 000 Gang) | 151 | – | – | |||
| "Billets violets" | 161 | – | – | |||
| "All Set" (featuring Jeremih) | 163 | – | – | |||
| "Jack Da" | 165 | – | – | |||
| "Mr. Kopp" | 146 | – | – | |||
| "Comme les autres" | 169 | – | – | Nero Nemesis | ||
| "Habibi" | 119 | – | – | |||
| "4G" | 109 | – | – | |||
| "Walabok" | 124 | – | – | |||
| "Talion" | 137 | – | – | |||
| "92I Veyron" | 57 | 16 (Ultratip*) | – | * FRA: Diamond[14] | ||
| "Charbon" | 168 | – | – | |||
| "Pinocchio" (featuring Damso and Gato) | 115 | – | – | |||
| "Zer'" (featuring Siboy and Benash) | 120 | – | – | |||
| 2017 | "Petite fille" | 28 | – | 32 | Trône | * FRA: Diamond[14] |
| "Trône" | 32 | – | 34 | * FRA: Platinum[14] | ||
| "113" (featuring Damso) | – | – | 38 | * FRA: Platinum[14] | ||
| "Ridin'" | 40 | – | – | * FRA: Platinum[14] | ||
| "Ça va aller" (featuring Niska and Sidiki Diabaté) | 40 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Friday" | 43 | 30 | 74 | * FRA: Diamond[14] | ||
| "Drapeau noir" | 48 | – | 91 | * FRA: Platinum[14] | ||
| "À la folie" | 55 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Terrain" | 74 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Centurion" | 85 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Bouyon" (featuring Gato) | 98 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Magnifique" | 130 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| 2021 | "GP" | 2 | – | – | Ultra | * FRA: Gold[14] |
| "VVV" | 3 | – | 26 | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Ultra" | 4 | – | 27 | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "RST" | 5 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "Bonne journée" (featuring SDM) | 6 | – | – | |||
| "Vue sur la mer" (featuring Dala) | 8 | – | – | |||
| "Je sais" | 9 | – | – | |||
| "Dernière fois" (featuring Bramsito) | 10 | – | – | * FRA: Gold[14] | ||
| "L'olivier" | 12 | – | – | |||
| "Grain de sable" (featuring Elia) | 13 | – | – | |||
| "31" (featuring Gato) | 14 | – | – | |||
| 2024 | "Abidal" | 18[20] | – | – | Ad vitam æternam | |
| "Bénigni" | 21[20] | – | – | |||
| "Signé" | 27[20] | – | – | |||
| "GM" | 36[20] | – | – | |||
| "CVBSP" | 41[20] | – | – | |||
*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.
See also
References
External links
