Elie Yaffa (born December 9, 1976), better known under his stage name Booba (French pronunciation: ​) 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 but disbanded in 2003. Booba has since embarked on a successful solo career, selling more than 10 million discs over his career and becoming the most legally downloaded artist in French history. Today, Booba is an icon of modern French pop culture, typically revered for the quality of his flow and beats but often criticized because of controversial nature of his lyrics. He has also established the label Tallac Records specializing in rap and hip-hop. Booba has also developed his own line of jewellery in cooperation with a well known jewellery label Tony Bling.