Bruno Beausire, better known to French music fans as the notorious Doc Gynéco, was born in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois on July 7th, 1974. Bruno's parents, who were both originally from Guadeloupe, separated while he was in his teens. After his father left the family home in 1990, Bruno would move to Paris with his mother, who began working as a social worker. Today, France's most provocative young rap star continues to live with his mother in the city's 18th arrondissement.

Bruno/Doc would launch his career at the age of 19, writing a series of tracks for the hardcore rap group Ministère Amer's album "95200". Doc Gynéco's cynical lyrics exploded onto the rap scene with the single "Autopsie", and from that moment on the radical young songwriter became a major force on the French music scene. Impressed by Doc's hard-hitting lyrics and his provocative personality, Virgin snapped up the hot new rap talent in 1994 and Doc Gynéco went straight into the studio to record a début album from his demo tapes.

The results of Doc's work in the Paris studios would prove disappointing, however. So the up-and-coming young rap star jetted off to Los Angeles instead, to work with Ken Kessie, the American producer responsible for launching the careers of Brownstone and En Vogue. 13 of the 14 tracks on Doc Gynéco's début album "Première consultation" would end up being recorded in the States, Doc returning to Paris to record just one song - "Est-ce que ça le fait?" - as a duo with Passi (from the group Ministère Amer).

Just What The Doctor Ordered

"Première consultation", released in the spring of 96, proved to be an instant hit with French music critics who eagerly picked up on the Doc's innovative mix of rap and ragga beats. Whereas before Doc Gynéco's funky ragga/rap style had been restricted to a close circle of Paris rappers, the young singer's catchy single "Viens voir le docteur" (Come and See the Doctor) soon rocketed into the mainstream charts, earning the Doc a host of new fans. The young rap star's cheeky name, coupled with his laid-back personality and his favourite song/interview subjects - football and sex - soon made Doc Gynéco one of the most talked-about newcomers on the French music scene. Needless to say, the Doc's début album more than benefited from his high profile - indeed, sales of "Première consultation" would soon top the 500,000 mark.

Doc Gynéco's funky dance-style and witty, insolent lyrics soon scored a hit with a number of French music stars. The young rapper was invited to perform a duo with Les Rita Mitsouko when the group staged a televised concert at the beginning of 97. And later that year Julien Clerc would invite Doc Gynéco to perform a duo with him at his 50th birthday concert (organised at the Palais des Sports in Paris in October).

Yet, in spite of the Doc's enormous popularity with the general public and his fellow musicians, the provocative young rap star has managed to stir up a storm of controversy in the French media. Indeed, Doc Gynéco's detractors have frequently attacked the singer for writing violent and abusive lyrics. The rapper's open references to suicide in the song "Nirvana" and his controversial new single "Ma salope à moi" ("My Bitch"), released at the start of this year, have only added to Doc Gynéco's outrageous reputation.

However, it must be said that Doc Gynéco is not solely interested in creating scandals. The young French rap star has also proved himself capable of writing sunny upbeat songs such as "Né ici" ("Born Here"). This bouncy ragga track, which traces Doc's family roots back to Guadeloupe and examines the problems of second-generation immigrants, is as politically topical as his other material however.

In 1997 Doc returned to the studio and began work on a new album entitled "Liaisons dangereuses". Doc's new album, which finally appeared in the shops on December 1 1998, had already caused a major stir long before its release. Indeed, the album, which featured contributions from a host of special guest stars, proved to be just as controversial as Doc Gynéco's previous work. Doc's new songwriting team included a certain Monsieur Bernard Tapie, the disgraced socialist politician jailed for fraud and tax evasion - who proved he has a solid sense of humour by penning the superbly ironic track "C'est beau la vie" (It's A Wonderful Life!) Recorded as a duet between Doc and Monsieur Tapie, the track was released as a single on October 23, and - needless to say- immediately attracted a huge amount of media interest!

Meanwhile, Doc's début album "Première consultation" continued to sell like hotcakes. Indeed, by the spring of 98 sales had topped the 700,000 mark, earning French rap's new golden boy a coveted platinum disc!

Back in the News

Doc Gynéco surfed on the wave of success generated by his debut album for a while, but over the following years he faded from the forefront of the French music scene. Doc made a bit of a comeback in the spring of 2001 with a second album entitled "Quality Street", but "Caramel", the first single release from the album, failed to make any significant impact on the charts. The album featured an impressively eclectic list of guest stars nonetheless, including contributions from Laurent Voulzy, reggae star Gregory Isaac, R-ZA from the Wu-Tang-Clan and French Chiara Mastroianni.

Having become the darling of French television sets, Doc Gyneco was hired as a reporter on a few shows. As usual his comments reflected his provocative, yet unconcerned attitude. Meanwhile, the busy artist also found time to release a new album in August 2002. Entitled "Solitaire" (to be understood as a pun on the word ‘soul’), the album paid a tribute to black music in general. Many international musicians collaborated on the album, including M and Laurent Vernerey, French rapper Stomy Bugsy on "Frotti frotta"—a track that recalled Zouk love music--, Lord Kossity on "Flash", the Californian artist Daz Dillinger (Dogg Pound), and Vincent Segal (Bumcello). The piquant lyrics contained in "Les Censeurs" or "Pauvre de moi" reinforced Doc Gyneco’s image of an agent provocateur. The album spawned a first single entitled "Funky Maxime".

Maxi best-of

At the beginning of 2003, Doc Gynéco received the ultimate compliment when renowned French film director Luc Besson invited him to record the theme song for his film "Taxi 3." Critical recognition came later that year, too, when Doc’s album, "Solitaire," won the “Victoire de la musique” Award for ‘Best Rap/Hip-hop Album of the Year.”

On 30 September 2003, the "Doc" delivered his first diagnostic on (almost) ten years of career, bringing out a compilation entitled "Menu Best-of." The 16-track album included a selection of Bruno Beausire’s greatest hits including "Viens voir le docteur," "Né ici" and "Nirvana" as well as three new songs.

At the end of 2003, Doc G hit the live scene for a series of concerts which lasted through until 2004. In June 2004, he opened a new chapter in his career, quitting his record label, Virgin. Barely a year later, Doc was back in the news guesting on Johnny Hallyday’s album "Ma vérité" alongside his old colleagues from Ministère Amer. The crew appeared on the track "Et le temps passe" (a standard French rock song mixed with rap).

2006: double album

January 2006 saw the arrival of not one, but two Doc Gynéco albums, released simultaneously on the same label. "Un homme nature" and "Doc Gynéco enregistre au quartier" reflected two different sides of Bruno Beausire’s personality and his musical creativity. The first, which included a subtle touch of rap aimed at the mainstream public, was recorded in the studios of the Palais des Congrès in Paris and found the bad boy rapper increasingly turning singer. Doc not only adapted the Noir Désir hit "L'Homme pressé" and La Grande Sophie’s "Lov Lov Lov" but also recorded his own radically new version of Anita Ward’s disco classic "Ring My Bell" - renamed "String My Belle"! The second album, a thoroughly "roots" affair on which Beausire celebrated his passion for reggae, was recorded in collaboration with reggae maestro Tyrone Downie (a former Wailer).

Doc Gynéco hit the headlines again early in 2007, coming out in support of Nicolas Sarkozy, the right-wing candidate in the French presidential elections. Three months before the nation went to the urns, Doc Gynéco published a provocative book entitled "Les Grands Esprits se rencontrent" (The Meeting of Great Minds) in which he supported Sarkozy and his derogatory remarks about youth on problem housing estates in the suburbs. Doc’s right-wing leanings did not go down well with many rap fans and when he performed in Geneva in August 2007 the singer had insults and beer cans hurled at him on stage. Following this hostile reaction from the crowd, the singer chose to cancel a concert he was due to play in the south of France a few days later.

However, Doc Gynéco showed no sign of trying to keep a lower public profile. Far from it, in fact, the rapper continued to do the rounds of the TV talk shows and appear in the national newspapers. At the end of 2008, Doc Gynéco upped the controversy surrounding his name when he released an album produced by none other than Pierre Sarkozy (one of French president Nicolas Sarkozy's sons). Not surprisingly, the album "Peace Maker" widened the rift between Gynéco and the rest of the French rap community. But the thirty-something ‘provocateur’ stuck to his guns, mocking his critics on a song entitled "Ma route" on which he warned those who "try to put the brakes on me" that he would "carry on straight down my road." Doc also jumped on the political bandwagon once again, sending up Ségolène Royal, Nicolas Sarkozy’s Socialist rival in the French presidential election in 2007.

Beyond its polemical lyrics, "Peace Maker" tapped straight into the soul vein Doc had explored on "Première consultation", the album that had established his reputation in the French music world. There was no mistaking the fact that Doc’s new album put across more positive messages in its lyrics, campaigning openly against drugs, urging peace and advocating a better life for the next generation. Doc Gynéco’s new album also included a couple of notable duets – one with French rapper Philémon and another with veteran French rock star Johnny Hallyday. "Peace Maker" marked the comeback of a rapper who has proved to be as consistent as he is controversial.

December 2008

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