Wallace Cleaver

Born in Blois in 1998 and raised in Saint-Laurent-Nouan in the Loir-et-Cher, Wallace Cleaver, whose real name is Léo Gond, has been developing a French rap marked by introspective writing, melancholy, personal narratives and a strong attention to phrasing since the late 2010s. Based in Paris for his studies at the Sorbonne, Wallace Cleaver first appeared in 2018 as part of the duo Garden Club with AnNie .Adaa, while also active within the HPA MOB collective, before launching his solo career with the tracks Fe.tys and Arsène. His discography expanded quickly with the EP 98 in 2019, Toute l’année c’est l’hiver in 2020, followed by the projects Cauchemar and À la recherche du temps perdu in 2021, where his rap became more defined between a smoldering tension, literary references and night-tinged production. Wallace Cleaver continued in 2022 with 41BORO, and also collaborated with Ocho on several slowed-down versions of his songs. In 2023, the album baiser further broadened his palette, combining direct rap, more sensitive passages and forays into jersey rhythms, while appearances on Grünt and COLORS accompanied wider exposure. With merci in 2024, Wallace Cleaver extends this personal vein in an entirely solo format.