Latest news with #Werenoi
France 24
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Top-selling French rapper laid to rest after death aged 31
Werenoi, his real name Jeremy Bana Owona and born in a Paris suburb to Cameroonian parents, was the top selling artist over the last two years in France in terms of album sales. He was buried in the suburb of Montreuil in the Seine-Saint-Denis district northeast of Paris, with fans hailing him as an artist they could relate to who spoke of the realities of daily life. Standing in front of the green gates of the municipal cemetery, Nicolas, 25, said he thought it was "great that he's buried here, in his neighbourhood". "It really touched me that an artist born here, originating from Cameroon like me, won so much hype. I loved how he layered his words with instrumental music." Guards allowed no telephones or cameras at the funeral, with 800 people showing up after prayers in a packed mosque. Following a meteoric rise, the artist died suddenly at the age of 31 in a Paris hospital, with no cause of death specified. His death was announced Saturday by his producer in an X post. His eyes hidden by sunglasses, Werenoi was discreet about his private life, and his massive popularity among French youths contrasted with his absence from traditional media. "People identified with him because he was credible, it wasn't a false image," said Moussa, 33. "He grew up on the streets here." A few hours after the announcement of his death, all his music videos were removed from YouTube. Only the audio tracks remain online, including his last duet ("Piano") with the rapper Gims.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chart-topping French rapper Werenoi dies aged 31
Werenoi, one of the most successful rappers in France, has died aged 31. His record label Believe confirmed the news, writing on Instagram: 'It is with immense sadness that we learned of Werenoi's passing … may he rest in peace.' The rapper, real name Jeremy Bana Owana, died at La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris early on Saturday morning. A cause of death has not been officially announced, though French media have reported him suffering a heart attack. Owana was born to Cameroonian parents and raised in the eastern suburbs of Paris. After he broke through in 2021 with debut track Guadalajara, three of his four studio albums – 2023's Carré, Pyramide and Pyramide 2 in 2024, and Diamant Noir released last month – topped the French charts. SNEP, which monitors music sales in France, stated that Owana had the biggest-selling album in France in both 2023 and 2024. As well as collaborating with the cream of the Francophone rap scene, including Aya Nakamura, Damso and Hamza, he also collaborated with major names in the US, with Gunna and Lil Tjay appearing on Diamant Noir. He had been due to perform in Lyon on the night of his death. Earlier in the week, he had won album of the year for Pyramide 2 at Les Flammes, a French award ceremony honouring the best in rap and other music of Black origin. He was unable to attend and sent a video message showing his arm in a sling, describing a 'a big injury'. Nakamura and Lil Tjay were among those paying tribute, along with other artists such as Gims.
Gulf Today
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Rapper Werenoi, France's biggest-selling music artist in recent years, dies at age 31
Rapper Werenoi, France's biggest-selling music artist in recent years, has died at the age of 31, his producer and record company said. The artist, whose real name was Jérémy Bana Owona, was the number 1 album seller in France in 2023 and 2024 according to the ranking of the National Union of Phonographic Industry, which includes in-store and e-commerce sales as well as plays on streaming services. "It's with immense sadness that we've learned of Werenoi's passing,' his record company Believe said on Instagram. "All our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, his team and everyone who knew him.' "Rest in peace my brother, I love you,' his producer Babs posted on X. French media report Werenoi died early Saturday in a Paris hospital. The cause of his death has not been made public. This photo shows Werenoi is performing on the stage. AFP Werenoi first became known to the French public in 2021 when he posted his song "Guadalajara' on YouTube and it was viewed hundreds of thousand times. He released three albums, "Carré' in 2023, "Pyramide' the next year and "Diamant Noir' last month, making him one of the biggest names in French rap. Several French rappers posted tributes on social media. French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, who featured on his second album, wrote : "Rest in peace my dude. A news that saddens me and courage to the loved ones especially.' "He made a difference for the quality of his songs, his melodies and his punchlines,' singer Pascal Obispo, who had accompanied Werenoi on the piano at a 2023 Paris concert, told French newspaper Le Parisien. Associated Press
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Rapper Werenoi, France's biggest-selling music artist in recent years, dies at age 31
Rapper Werenoi, France's biggest-selling music artist in recent years, has died at the age of 31, his producer and record company said. The artist, whose real name was Jérémy Bana Owona, was the number 1 album seller in France in 2023 and 2024 according to the ranking of the National Union of Phonographic Industry, which includes in-store and e-commerce sales as well as plays on streaming services. 'It's with immense sadness that we've learned of Werenoi's passing,' his record company Believe said on Instagram. 'All our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, his team and everyone who knew him.' 'Rest in peace my brother, I love you,' his producer Babs posted on X. French media report Werenoi died early Saturday in a Paris hospital. The cause of his death has not been made public. Also Read | 'Today, Shah Rukh Khan probably wouldn't greet me like he used to': Abhijeet Sawant reflects on declining fame, recalls hobnobbing with stars during prime A post shared by 🔱WE RENOI🔱 (@we_renoi) A post shared by 🔱WE RENOI🔱 (@we_renoi) Werenoi first became known to the French public in 2021 when he posted his song 'Guadalajara' on YouTube and it was viewed hundreds of thousand times. He released three albums, 'Carré' in 2023, 'Pyramide' the next year and 'Diamant Noir' last month, making him one of the biggest names in French rap. Several French rappers posted tributes on social media. French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, who featured on his second album, wrote: 'Rest in peace my dude. A news that saddens me and courage to the loved ones especially.' 'He made a difference for the quality of his songs, his melodies and his punchlines,' singer Pascal Obispo, who had accompanied Werenoi on the piano at a 2023 Paris concert, told French newspaper Le Parisien.
LeMonde
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Rapper Werenoi, France's top-selling music artist in 2023-2024, has died at 31
Rapper Werenoi, France's biggest-selling music artist in recent years, died on Saturday, May 17, at the age of 31, his producer and record company said. "Rest in peace my brother, I love you," his producer Babs posted on X, confirming French media reports that Werenoi had died early on Saturday, in a Paris hospital. The cause of his death has not been made public. "It's with immense sadness that we've learned of Werenoi's passing," his record company Believe said on Instagram. "All our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, his team and everyone who knew him." The artist, whose real name was Jérémy Bana Owona, was the number 1 album seller in France in 2023 and 2024 according to the ranking compiled by the National Union of Phonographic Industry, which includes in-store and e-commerce sales, as well as plays on streaming services. Werenoi first became known to the French public in 2021 when he posted his song "Guadalajara" on YouTube and it was viewed hundreds of thousand times. He released three albums, Carré in 2023, Pyramide the next year and Diamant Noir last month, making him one of the biggest names in French rap. Several French rappers posted tributes on social media. French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, who featured on his second album, wrote: "Rest in peace my dude. A news that saddens me and courage to the loved ones especially." "He made a difference for the quality of his songs, his melodies and his punchlines," singer Pascal Obispo, who had accompanied Werenoi on the piano at a 2023 Paris concert, told French newspaper Le Parisien.
