IAM was one of the first hip-hop acts making music in France, releasing the
first ever rap album in their home country and spearheading the genre's spread.
The group's roots stretch back to the New York of the early '80s, when IAM
founding member Philippe Fragione (then known as Chill, now going by Akhenaton)
was making regular visits to the city and getting to know its hip-hop scene. He
began making music back in his home town, Marseille, with Eric Mazel (DJ Khéops)
and Geoffroy Mussard (Jo, then later Shurik'n). When they were joined by Pascal
Perez (Imhotep) and MCs Françoi...