It could be said that rap music has always been about the power of words. Québec rap trio Loco Locass put that emphasis front and centre. Devoted to the preservation of the French language and the political independence of Québec, the band's songs can come on strong. But the trio's rap credentials are bona fide, as evidenced by the group's 2000 debut, Manifestif. Members Batlam, Biz, and Chafiik returned in 2004 with Amour Oral, and later with 2012's Le Québec est mort, vive le Québec!, fulfilling their mandate to make intricate, opinionated rap, always en français.