Shtar Academy
| Shtar Academy | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Luynes, Bouches-du-Rhône, France |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | Fu-Jo |
| Associated acts | Mouloud Mansouri, Lino, Psy 4 de la Rime, Casseurs Flowters |
| Website | www |
| Members |
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Shtar Academy (also known as Shtar Ac) is a French hip hop collective that started in a prison, consisting of rappers Badri, Malik and Mirak, who served sentences of varying periods for different charges. It was founded in 2012 as a result of a pilot project at the Aix-en-Provence Prison in Luynes, Bouches-du-Rhône. They released their self-titled debut studio album Shtar Academy on 20 January 2014 through the Fu-Jo record label.
"Shtar" is a known synonym for cop or jail in French lingo. "Shtar Academy" is also a wordplay on the famous French reality television music competition series Star Academy, a long running series broadcast in various forms in a great number of countries and can be likened to Idols.
Shtar Academy was started in 2012 within the walls of the French prison at Luynes. Producer and DJ Mouloud Mansouri proposed the idea to the Aix-en-Provence Prison administration, who agreed to go ahead. Mansouri had been involved in event organization in the Toulon area through his company Fu-Jo, and had previously served a sentence between 1999 and 2008 for drug trafficking. While incarcerated, and based on his contacts with various hip hop artists, he was able to organize a number of musical events, particularly in Val-de-Reuil Prison where he was incarcerated, inviting hip hop artists to perform for prisoners.
After getting initial approval in 2012 for a hip hop festival to be held in summer of 2013 at the Luynes Prison, with expected acts such as Cut Killer, Némir, Médine, Psy 4 de la Rime and Kery James amongst others, Mansouri proposed that the opening act be performed by a select number of prisoners presenting their compositions. The Shtar Academy project was formed as a result of this proposition. The prison administration agreed to the construction of a recording studio within the prison compounds, but reserved the right to censor any proposed texts by the prisoners that were deemed excessively violent or aggressive towards prison wardens, or presenting menacing lyrics addressed to judges, the police or to victims of crimes.
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