Claude M'Barali was born in Dakar, Senegal to parents of Chadian origin. When he was six months old his parents immigrated to France where they eventually settled in the Paris suburb of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. At age twelve he went to Egypt for nine months where he discovered the Zulu Nation and became fascinated with the rapping styles of Afrika Bambaataa.[3] Upon his return he began to focus more on music but still studied enough to pass the baccalauréat. It has been said that his constant support from his mother was one of the reasons that he was able to pass the baccalauréat and still create music. He coined the stage name "MC Solaar" in his teens from his graffiti tags "SOAR" and "SOLAAR".
MC Solaar went to Paris in the summer of 1990 with his friend Jimmy Jay in hopes of succeeding in the music industry. Success came quickly when his first single, Bouge de là ("Take a Hike"), based on a sample from Cymande's song The Message (1973) became a hit in early 1990. It was all about brushing people to the side and not having time for them.
After the success of Bouge de là, Solaar went on to support the famous American rap group De La Soul when they performed at the Olympia in Paris in September 1991. At the close of 1991 Solaar released Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo which went on to sell over 400,000 copies in France. With the success of his début album in France, the French rapper embarked upon extensive tours of Poland and Russia. In December 1992 he performed in twelve countries in West Africa, where his French rap style proved extremely popular with African music fans.
MC Solaar returned to the studio in 1994, recording Prose Combat. The album sold 100,000 copies in the first week of its release and became a best seller in 20 other countries. He was rewarded for his efforts when in February 1995 he received an award for Best Male Singer of the Year at the 10th edition of the French "Victoires de la Musique" awards. Solaar went back to the studio in 1997 with longtime friend and producer Jimmy Jay to record his third album, Paradisiaque. The album was another success, which led to an extensive European tour starting on January 9 at the Zénith in Paris.
MC Solaar gained new fans in North America in early 2004, when his 2001 song "La Belle et Le Bad Boy" was featured on the final episode of the popular television series Sex and the City. It has become popular again as top MTV series "The Hills" featured the song which has created another buzz for the song.
MC Solaar remains best-known outside of France for his work on Guru's Jazzmatazz project and as a guest rapper on the Missy Elliott track "All N My Grill". This collaboration with Missy Elliott opened him new doors especially in the American market. Out of Guru and Solaar's collaboration, the single "Le Bien, Le Mal" (The Good, The Bad) was a popular Hip Hop/Dance crossover hit receiving playtime on MTV.
MC Solaar is one of the only French rappers who were capable of imposing himself in the American era of Hip Hop without even speaking English. Solaar has appeared in many Bollywood movies like Hum Tum.
MC Solaar also released a few songs which never appeared on albums, including "John Woo" and "Inch'Allah". He has criticized illegal downloads by producing altered versions of his albums Mach 6 and Chapitre 7.
Solaar's personal life became media fodder starting in 1996 when he began dating Ophélie Winter. The couple split up in December 2000. On December 7, 2003, MC Solaar married Chloé Bensemoun and on May 7, 2004, she gave birth to the couple's first child, Roman.
Beginning September 2, 1997, MC Solaar started fighting record label Vivendi for commercially exploiting his first three albums. In 2002, French courts sided with Solaar and the case was dismissed a few days after.
