French hip hop is the hip hop music style which was eveloped in France. Most French hip hop artists come from poor urban areas outside of Paris known as the banlieues (including Lunatic, Mafia K1 Fry, La Brigade, Secteur Ä), Lyon, Lille, Le Havre (La Boussole), Strasbourg, Toulouse (KDD) or Marseille (IAM, Fonky Family, Psy 4 De La Rime, 3ème Oeil, Soprano, and others). In the early 1990s hip hop became the sound of Paris. Racism within French society plays a large role in the success of French hip hop. In order to fully understand French hip hop, however, it is imperative to consider and understand the political and social status of the minority groups living in France. Many French rappers are products of the HLM and use their tough upbringing as sources of inspiration in their lyrics.