Biography

Mory Samaké, aka Daddy Mory: the voice of French reggae

Ivry-sur-Seine, late 1980s. In a Parisian squat, two boys make Jamaican sounds resonate through makeshift microphones. The sound they produce is raw, direct, uncompromising—a blend of reggae dancehall (fast rhythm born in Jamaica in the 1980s) and rap that had never been produced in France¹. Thirty years later, one of the two boys, Mory Samaké, aka Daddy Mory, still sings on the same stages he helped build.

In brief


Stage name	Daddy Mory
Legal name	Mory Samaké
Birth	October 1973, Paris
Origins	Malian father, Martinican mother
Genre	Raggamuffin, dancehall reggae
Main group	Raggasonic
Iconic works	Raggasonic (1995), Ma Voix Résonne (2003), Travail d’Artiste (2015)

Key dates

Year	Event
1987	Debut in Drop The Lyrics, neighborhood group in Ivry-sur-Seine
1990	Joins Sound Djata, first duo with Big Red
1991	Appearance on Ragga Jam, track by MC Solaar, alongside Kery James
1995	Release of first album Raggasonic, gold record (200,000 copies)
1995	Sors avec ton gun on the soundtrack of the film La Haine
1997	Release of Raggasonic 2, hit single Faut pas me prendre pour un âne
1998	Suspends activities with the group
2003	Solo launch with Ma Voix Résonne
2012	Raggasonic reunion and release of Raggasonic 3
2021	Release of EP Kritk, recorded in Senegal
2025	Concert at Reggae Breizh Party, Pontivy

Origins and formation: a hybrid of culture

Son of a Malian father and a Martinican mother, Mory Samaké grew up in the 14th arrondissement of Paris before settling in Ivry-sur-Seine. Reggae is a religion there: he discovered it in squats and sound systems, these underground scenes where DJs play Jamaican records on giant speakers. At sixteen, he joins forces with Big Red (Stéphane Joaquim), quickly forming a duo². The duo becomes a trio when Frenchie (François Allegre) joins the lineup and takes on the role of producer.

The group adopts its name: Raggasonic. The first ragga formation in France, the trio gets noticed thanks to a compilation, Rapattitude, published at the beginning of the 1990s. In 1991, the duo Big Red and Daddy Mory appears on Ragga Jam, a track by MC Solaar, alongside Kery James—a baptism before the elite of French rap³.

Revelation and consecration: Raggasonic

The eponymous album Raggasonic is released in October 1995 and climbs directly to sixteenth place on the French charts, earning a gold record. It includes tracks that became iconic: Bleu, blanc, rouge, clip directed by Joeystarr, and J’entends parler, dedicated to raising awareness about AIDS. That same year, Sors avec ton gun enters the soundtrack of Mathieu Kassovitz’s film La Haine, firmly anchoring the group in French culture³.

In 1997, Raggasonic 2 confirms the success with Faut pas me prendre pour un âne and Laisse le peuple s’exprimer, tracks that make Raggasonic a reference in French reggae. The press picks it up. The adventure ends in 1998: artistic and personal disagreements, as well as Daddy Mory’s prison stay, bring the collaboration to a close³.

The solo career: from Paris to Saly

Daddy Mory does not slow down. In 1998, he launches his solo career. Kisdés 2 (2002), Ma Voix Résonne (2003) and Reality (2007) confirm a writing style rooted in dancehall reggae. He tours in Africa, Polynesia, the Caribbean and Europe⁴.

At the end of the 2010s, he returns with Travail d’Artiste (2015), alongside Birch, Frenchie and Steven DJ Genius McGregor. In 2021, the EP Kritk is recorded in Senegal, where Daddy Mory has a pied-à-terre in Saly. The pandemic did not stop his creativity. In 2025, he celebrates thirty years of Raggasonic while continuing to perform on stage⁵.

His 2012 return with Raggasonic 3, including the single Ça va clasher, marks the trio’s renaissance. “Music is our lifeblood,” he declares. Today active between Paris and Dakar, Daddy Mory remains an indispensable figure of the reggae scene in France³.

Major works

Work	Year	Why it’s essential
Raggasonic	1995	Group’s first album, gold record, Bleu, blanc, rouge and J’entends parler
Raggasonic 2	1997	Confirmation of the duo with Faut pas me prendre pour un âne
Ma Voix Résonne	2003	First solo album, rooted in dancehall reggae
Travail d’Artiste	2015	Strong comeback with major artists from the scene
Kritk	2021	EP recorded in Senegal, filmed between Paris and Saly

Legacy

Daddy Mory is, along with Big Red, a co-founder of a movement that shaped French reggae. His voice and militant lyrics nourished an entire generation. He embodies the diversity of France—son of Mali and Martinique, singing in French with Jamaican dancehall rhymes—while remaining faithful to the political consciousness of reggae. Thirty years after his debut in the squats of Ivry, his music continues to resonate⁵.