Sniper

Formed in 1997 in the Paris suburbs, the French hip-hop collective Sniper initially comprised rappers El Tunisiano (born Bachir Baccour) and Aketo (Ryad Selmi), dancehall toaster Black Renega (Karl Appela), and DJ Boudj. Before issuing their first album, Du Rire aux Larmes, in 2001, the quartet abandoned the earlier name Personnalité Suspecte. After Gravé Dans la Roche appeared in 2003, French Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy launched a legal action against the group’s street-smart, often political lyrics, labeling them “violent, racist and abusive.” Although a judge ultimately threw out the suit, the ensuing publicity turned Sniper into a cause célèbre and sharply boosted their record sales. Trait Pour Trait arrived in 2006. The departure of Blacko the following year rendered a fourth studio album improbable.