Youssoupha

Youssoupha, born Mabiki Youssoupha on August 29, 1979, is a French rapper born in Kinshasa, in what was then Zaire, to a Senegalese mother and a Congolese father. He is often regarded as one of the most influential voices in French rap. He began his career as part of the group Frères Lumières, releasing the group's only album, «Être né quelque part», in 1999, before launching a solo path in 2005 with the street album «Éternel recommencement».

Signing with the Hostile label, a subsidiary of EMI France, Youssoupha built a solo discography marked by dense, literary wordplay and socially conscious themes. His first true studio album, «À chaque frère» (2007), earned a gold certification, and his follow-up, «Sur les chemins du retour» (2009) — featuring the controversial track «À force de le dire» — also went gold. He continued releasing acclaimed projects throughout the following decade, including the mixtape «En noir et blanc» and the album «Noir désir».

Known for tracks like «On se connaît», «Espérance de vie», «Entourage» and «L'amour», Youssoupha's style blends intricate rhyme schemes with reflections on identity, origin and social realities, placing him among the defining figures of conscious and lyrically driven French rap.