LIM

Salim Lakhdiri came into the world in Boulogne-Billancourt during 1981 and launched his path as hardcore rapper LIM inside the Mo'vez Lang collective alongside close associates Cens Nino and Boulox. The trio soon drew notice from the hip-hop outfit Les Sages Poetes de la Rue and joined them on tour dates spanning the entire '90s. Their shared work gave rise to the expansive Beat de Boul crew, which issued Dans la Sono in 1997 followed by Dans la Ville in 1999. Following further guest spots on recognized compilations and mixtapes under the Mo'vez Lang banner, LIM stepped out with his debut solo project in 2005, delivering a raw strain of street commentary that echoed the bold stance of peers Rohff and Kamelancien. That record, together with the 2007 projects Maxi Delinquant (issued as a mixtape) and Delinquant (the formal follow-up album), covered standard hip-hop territory, foregrounding themes of drugs, sex, and law enforcement. A harsher lyrical tone surfaced on cuts such as the provocatively named "Moi Aussi Je Veux Baiser la Pute de la Republique," prompting a ban from longtime rap station Skyrock.