What is Booba?
{{Infobox musical artist |name= Booba |background = solo_singer |image = booba.jpg |caption = | birth_name = Élie Yaffa | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1976|12|9}} | birth_place = [[Sèvres]], [[France]] | genre = {{hlist|[[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]|[[French rap]]|[[gangsta rap]]|[[Trap music|trap]]}} | occupation = Rapper | instrument = | years_active = 1994–present | label = Tallac Records<br>[[Universal Music Group]]<br>Barclay | associated_acts = Ali<br>Ryan Leslie<br>[[Akon]]<br>[[T-Pain]]<br>113<br>La Fouine<br>Gradur<br>Young CK<br>92I<br>Kaaris<br>[[Rick Ross]]<br>[[2 Chainz]] | website = }} '''Elie Yaffa''' (born December 9, 1976), better known under his stage name '''Booba''' ({{IPA-fr|buˈba}}) is a French rapper. After a brief stint as a break dancer in the early 1990s, Booba partnered with his friend Ali to form Lunatic. The duo released a critically acclaimed album in 2000 and disbanded in 2003. Booba has since embarked on a successful solo career, selling more than 10 million discs over his career<ref>[http://www.waxx-music.com/news_chroniques/chronique/Booba_556.html Booba : Lunatic – Chroniques – Booba – Toutes les chroniques sur Waxx-music] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209023542/http://www.waxx-music.com/news_chroniques/chronique/Booba_556.html |date=2010-12-09 }}. Waxx-music.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-30.</ref> and becoming the most legally downloaded artist in French history.<ref>[http://www.melty.fr/booba-l-annee-nous-appartient-interview-video-actu46446.html Booba : L'année nous appartient, interview vidéo sur NRJ12]. melty.fr (2011-01-03). Retrieved on 2012-12-30.</ref> Booba is praised for the quality of his flow and beats but often criticized because of controversial nature of his lyrics. He has also established the rap label Tallac Records, and developed a line of jewellery. == Life and career == Elie Yaffa was born on December 9, 1976, in the outskirts of Paris in Sèvres. His father is [[Senegal|Senegalese]] and his mother is French. With h