R2

Rooted in Arpajon (Essonne) and in Ivorian and Ethiopian heritage, R2—real name Rayann Kipre—crafts French rap in which sung passages play a major role alongside rapped verses. Born in 2004, he belongs to a generation of artists who blur the line between rap and chanson, with writing directly structured around the voice and melodies. The year 2025 marks a visible milestone for Rayann Kipre: the media outlet Booska‑P includes him in its list of 11 rappers to watch in 2025, and the single Ruinart reaches a broad audience in France, establishing the name R2 beyond his initial core listeners. That same year, R2 releases the mixtape 7/7 on the Blue Sky label, in collaboration with 360 OTG, which sets an initial framework for his artistic world and his way of alternating between rapped tracks and more sung titles. In 2026, R2 issues his debut studio album, Actif, formalizing this evolution by bringing together his main musical directions and anchoring him more firmly in the landscape of contemporary French rap.