[3] Shtar Academy was started as a musical project in 2012 by record producer Mouloud Mansouri, who had previously served a jail sentence between 1999 and 2008 for drug trafficking.

Through interviews and assessments, and test performances conducted by Mansouri and co-producer Tony Danza, the number of eligible applicants was reduced to a dozen and eventually three of the most talented were chosen through a competitive elimination process to spearhead the musical project.

[5] For a whole year, the three worked regularly on various workshops for songwriting, composition, and training for recordings and computer-assisted production.

More than 30 well-known French rappers and producers volunteered their time supporting the project through mentoring and coaching.

They also provided studio time and agreed to be featured in compositions by the prisoners, which were presented during a three-hour live show on 3 June 2013.