Okou Gnakouri,[1] known by his stage name Kaaris (/ˈkɑːrɪs/, French: [kaʁis]; stylized as KΛΛRIS), is a French rapper.

Kaaris
Kaaris at the Out4Fame Festival 2016 in Hünxe, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Kaaris at the Out4Fame Festival 2016 in Hünxe, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Background information
Also known asFresh, K2A, Riskaa, Talsadoum, K Double Rotor, Zongo le Dozo
Born (1980-01-30) January 30, 1980 (age 44)
OriginSevran, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • actor
  • record producer
Years active2000–present
Labels
Websitehttps://kaaris.store/

Early life

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Kaaris was raised in Sevran in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, northeast of Paris.[2]

Career

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Kaaris started rapping in 1999, and released his first mixtape in 2001. He returned to his native Ivory Coast for a while, but returned to France after political unrest in the country. In 2007, he released his street album 43ème Bima (pronounced "Quarante-troisième Bima"), that led to signing with a new independent label French Cut Music.[2]

However, his meeting with French rapper Booba[3] and producers Therapy gave him his first recording with Booba, "Criminelle league" released as part of Booba's Autopsie Vol. 4. Kaaris had his first charting hit "Kalash", credited to Booba featuring Kaaris appearing in Booba's album Futur.

Kaaris co-writes most of his materials in cooperation with a record producer duo, known as Therapy (made up of producers 2031 and 2093). On 21 October 2013, he released his studio album Or Noir on Therapy Music / AZ / Universal Music. It is considered as one of the most important in the history of French rap.[4] With the 2014 reissue Or Noir Part 2, the album is certified platinum.[5]

On 30 March 2015, Kaaris released his studio album Le bruit de mon âme.de The record includes featuring including Lacrim, 13 Block or Future.[6] In October 2015, he released a mixtape titled Double Fuck.

On 11 November 2016, he released his third studio album Okou Gnakouri. The album includes featurings with Gucci Mane and Kalash Criminel. In early January 2018, the record was certified double platinum with over 200,000 sold copies.[7]

A year after the release of Okou Gnakouri, on 3 Novembre 2017, he released the album Dozo.[8]

On 25 January 2019, he released the album Or Noir Part 3, going back to a trap style and following his 2013 album.[9]

On 3 September, he released the album 2.7.0. He left Def Jam France and created his own label OG Record while signing for Lutèce Music, affiliated to Caroline France label.[10]

On 28 January, he released a common album with French rapper Kalash Criminel titled SVR. The name of the album is a reference to Sevran, the city where both rappers come from.[11]

In 2023, Kaaris featured in the Netflix film, "In His Shadow".[12]

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A fight between Booba and Kaaris led to the temporary closure of Hall 1 at Paris-Orly Airport on 1 August 2018. Kaaris was given an 18-month suspended sentence and fined €50,000.[1]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album Peak positions
FRA
[13]
BEL
(Fl)

[14]
BEL
(Wa)

[15]
SWI
[16]
2013 Or Noir 3 12 35
2014 Or Noir Part II 137 164 13 63
2015 Le bruit de mon âme 4 188 14 22
2016 Okou Gnakouri 8 21 57
2017 Dozo 3
[17]
159 9 59
2019 Or Noir Part 3 2
[18]
114 2 13
2020 2.7.0 4 50 5 13
2022 SVR
(with Kalash Criminel)
1
[19]
106 5 12
2023 Day One 27 23

Mixtapes and street albums

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Year Album Peak positions
FRA
[13]
2007 43eme Bima  –
2012 Z.E.R.O 141
2015 Double Fuck 1

Singles

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Year Single Peak positions Album
FRA
[13]
BEL
(Wa)

[15]
2013 "Zoo" 78  – Or Noir
"Binks" 51  –
"Paradis ou enfer" 51  –
2014 "Sombre" 41  – Or Noir Part II
"Comme Gucci Mane" 34  – Le bruit de mon âme
"Se-Vrak" 165  –
"80 Zetrei" 25 45*(Ultratip)
2015 "Le bruit de mon âme" 24 35*(Ultratip)
2016 "Bambou" 155  – Braqueurs soundtrack
"Blow" 26 16*(Ultratip) Okou Gnakouri
"C'est pas pareil (Remix)"
(with Seth Gueko)
184  –
2017 "Dozo" 13 47 Dozo
"Kébra" 32 13*(Ultratip)
"Bling Bling"
(feat. Kalash Criminel and Sofiane)
74 3*(Ultratip)
2018 "G.O.K.O.U" 19 19*(Ultratip)
"Aborigène" 70  –
"Livraison" 28  –
"Débrouillard" 49  – Or Noir Part 3
2019 "Aieaieouille" 23 9*(Ultratip)
"Omega" 71  –
2020 "Goulag" 5 4*(Ultratip)
"NRV" 8 14*(Ultratip)
2021 "Château noir" 8  –
"Hallyday" 96  –
2022 "Apocalypse"
(with Kalash Criminel featuring Freeze Corleone)
2 46
2024 "Panama"
(featuring Hamza)
7
[20]
29

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

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Year Single Peak positions Album
FRA
[13]
2012 "Kalash"
(Booba feat. Kaaris)
116 Booba album
Futur
2014 "La mort ou tchitchi"
(Niro feat. Kaaris)
38 Niro album
Miraculé
2015 "Bouteilles et glocks"
(Dosseh feat. Kaaris)
38 Dosseh album
Perestroïka
2016 "Arrêt du cœur"
(Kalash Criminel & Kaaris)
61 Kalash Criminel album
RAS
2018 "Mistigris"
(Sofiane feat. Kaaris)
13
"GB"
(Lartiste feat. Kaaris X DJ Mc Fly)
62
"Il se passe quoi"
(Mac Tyer feat. Kaaris & Sofiane)
107 Mac Tyer album
C'est la street mon pote
2019 "D'une autre manière"
(Da Uzi feat. Kaaris)
101 Da Uzi album
Mexico
2020 "Embourgeoisé "
(Kofs feat. Kaaris)
90 Kofs album
Santé & bonheur

Other charted songs

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Year Song Peak positions Album
FRA
[13]
BEL
,small>(Wa)

[15]
2013 "Dès le départ" 43  – Or Noir
"Or noir" 106  –
"L.E.F"
(feat. Booba)
122  –
"63" 130  –
"Bizon" 159  –
"Je bibi" 168  –
"Bouchon de Liège" 200  –
2014 "S.E.V.R.A.N" 26  – Or Noir Part II
"À l'heure" 27  –
"Chargé" 130  –
"Pablito" 182  –
2015 "Crystal"
(feat. Future)
19  – Le bruit de mon âme
"El Chapo"
(feat. Lacrim)
123  –
"Zone de transit" 155  –
"Terrain" 65  – Double Fuck
"C'est la base"
(feat. XV Barbar)
99  –
"Sinaloa" 141  –
"Talsadoum" 160  –
"Petit vélo" 169  –
"Où sont les €"
(feat. SCH, Worms-T)
171  –
2016 "Nador" 35 10*
(Ultratip)
Okou Gnakouri
"Poussière" 39  –
"Tchoin" 7 40
"4matic"
(feat. Kalash Criminel)
141  –
"2.7 Zéro 10. 17"
(feat. Gucci Mane)
164  –
"Contact" 183  –
"Benz" 199  –
2017 "Je suis gninnin, je suis bien" 20  – Dozo
"Diarabi" 6 7*(Ultratip)
"Feghouli" 42  –
"Végéta" 61  –
"Oublier" 97  –
"Être deux" 90  –
"RPG" 125  –
"Courez" 144  –
"Victoire" 74  –
"Marchand d'ivoire" 62  –
"Menace" 67  –
"Mood" 84  –
"Pas idée" 83  –
2018 "Rafaler"
(with 4Keus Gang, Q.E Favelas & Mac Kregor)
131  – 93 Empire
"Empire"
(with Sofiane)
8  –
"Nouvelle monnaie"
(with Landy & Sofiane)
34  –
"Pas le choix"
(with Lartiste & Sofiane)
90  –
2019 "Cigarette"
(feat. SCH)
12  – Or Noir Part 3
"Chien de la casse" 22  –
"Gun Salute" 14 25*(Ultratip)
"Golf7 R" 27  –
"Briganté"
(feat. Mac Tyer & Sofiane)
33  –
"Dévalisé" 36  –
"Monsieur Météo" 43  –
"Octogone" 13 12*(Ultratip)
"Détails" 70  –
"Tout était écrit" 75  –
"Ça on l'a" 85  –
"Comme un refrain" 99  –
"Douane" 106  –
"Exo Planète" 59  –
2020 "Deux deux"
(feat. Bosh)
9  – 2.7.0
"Illimité" 12  –
"Sosa" 19  –
"Réussite" 22  –
"Piquée"
(feat. Dadju)
26  –
"1er cœur"
(feat. Gims)
32  –
"Mandalorian" 34  –
"Ultra" 38  –
"Freestyle 2.7.0" 42  –
"Lumière"
(feat. Imen Es)
46  –
"Moula moula" 65  –
"Tout est prêt"
(feat. Sid)
77  –
"Guedro" 84  –
"Bope" 100  –
"Valhalla" 107  –
"Big riska" 113  –

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

Filmography

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Films

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Music videos

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Year Title Director Album
2007 Mets moi prem's NC 43e Bima
2009 De l'autre côté de la nuit (feat. Mac Kregor) NC NC
2009 Une armée de soucis NC NC
2010 Vendeur de Nah Nah (feat. Despo Rutti) NC NC
Mafia Musik NC NC
Ce que tu veux NC NC
2012 Houdini NC Z.E.R.O.
L'Hôte funeste NC
Bon qu'à ça NC
Le Légiste Chris Macari
2013 Zoo Or noir
Binks
Paradis ou enfer
Dès le départ
63
Or noir Greg Ohrel & Lionel Hirle
2014 S.E.V.R.A.N Nathalie Canguilhem Or noir : Part II
Se-Vrak Nicolas Noël Le bruit de mon âme
Comme Gucci Mane Julien Leclercq
80 Zetrei DEKDEK
2015 Mauvais Djo (feat. Ixzo, Worms T & Solo Le Mythe)
Magnum Amar Loudarenne
Le bruit de mon âme DEKDEK
Crystal (feat. Future) Nicolas Noël
Zone de transit
Kadirov
Terrain Double Fuck
C'est la base (feat. XV Barbar)
Sinaloa
Talsadoum / Double Fuck Carlos Guerra
2016 Bambou Kahina Carina NC
Blow Cedrick Cayla Okou Gnakouri
Nador
2017 Dozo Beat Bounce Dozo
Kébra Chill
Bling Bling (feat. Sofiane & Kalash Criminel) Cédrick Cayla
2018 Diarabi
G.O.K.O.U

References

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  1. ^ a b "Booba and Kaaris: French rappers sentenced over airport brawl". BBC News. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  2. ^ a b "Biographie de Kaaris". RapGame.org (in French). Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  3. ^ Le InRocks: Kaaris - "Moi et Booba, on se retrouve sur le coté hardcore" (in French)
  4. ^ "Ces moments de pop culture qui ont 10 ans cette année". Mouv' (in French). 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  5. ^ "Les certifications". SNEP (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  6. ^ "[Chronique] Kaaris « Le Bruit de mon âme »". Toutelaculture (in French). April 2015. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  7. ^ "Generations". Generations (in French). 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  8. ^ ""Dozo" de Kaaris est un peu décevant..." Hip Hop Corner : Actu rap français, US et culture (in French). 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  9. ^ "«Or Noir part 3» : ce que l'on pense du nouvel album de Kaaris". leparisien.fr (in French). 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  10. ^ "Ce qu'on a aimé, ou non, dans l'album « 2.7.0 » de Kaaris". Interlude (in French). 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  11. ^ "Kaaris et Kalash Criminel : « Dans un album, il faut savoir proposer de tout, pouvoir plaire un peu à tout le monde »". Red Bull (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  12. ^ Fatima, Ameen (17 March 2023). "In His Shadow Review: Complicated Family Thriller With a Dash of Witchcraft". Leisure Byte. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Kaaris discography". lescharts.com. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  14. ^ "Kaaris discography". ultratop.be/nl/. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Kaaris discography". ultratop.be/fr/. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  16. ^ "Kaaris discography". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  17. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 44, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 5, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Top Albums (Week 5, 2022)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Top Singles (Week 4, 2024)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
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