The group released its first album, "L'arène des rumeurs", in 1992, under the label of Barclay Records. As the band toured and performed, the members continued to be active in community work, and Zebda became known for its politicized lyrics. Its 1995 album, "Le bruit et l'odeur" ("The Noise and the Smell") took its name from a gaffe made by then-president Jacques Chirac in reference to the conditions in the French "banlieues", many of which have large immigrant populations. The record itself had a strong critical and commercial reception and has been said to have "cause a major stir" in France.