Saïd M'Roubaba was born in Marseille, France, on January 14, 1979. As a youth, Saïd was fascinated with American R&B and hip-hop artists such as Michael Jackson and Kris Kross. Though a reluctant leader, it was not long before he formed a hip-hop crew of his own. M'Roubaba and friends (Psy 4 de la Rime) became important players in the years when European hip-hop's foundation was being laid. He earned a reputation for a lyrical intuition and insight uncommon in the genre. Enamored with American TV's Tony Soprano (especially the character's psychiatric explorations), M'Roubaba chose the MC name Soprano and went solo in 2006. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez