Kaaris

Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1980 and raised first in Val-d’Oise and then Sevran in Seine-Saint-Denis, Kaaris established himself in French rap with a frontal writing style, a slowed flow, and a dark aesthetic nourished by trap, gangsta rap, and urban narratives. Active since the late 1990s, he first appeared under other names on compilations before reviving his career with the mixtape 43e Bima in 2007 and then Z.E.R.O. in 2012. His visibility broadened after collaborations with Booba, notably on Kalash in 2012, ahead of the release of Or noir in 2013, an album widely associated with the durable establishment of trap codes in French rap. Kaaris then followed with Or noir Part II in 2014, Le Bruit de mon âme in 2015, Okou Gnakouri in 2016, Dozo in 2017, Or noir 3 in 2019, 2.7.0 in 2020, and Day One in 2023. Through this discography, Kaaris develops a tense and massive rap, sometimes more melodic, without abandoning an abrasive diction nor a universe marked by Sevran, the street, and power dynamics. He was also heard alongside Kalash Criminel on the joint album SVR in 2022. Parallel to music, Kaaris develops an acting career in film and television.