Armand Okou Gnakouri, known by his stage name Kaaris (, ), is a French rapper, actor and record producer.
Early life Kaaris was born in Cocody, near Abidjan. At age 3, he moved to Sevran in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, northeast of Paris.
Career 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.
However, his meeting with French rapper BoobaLe InRocks: Kaaris - "Moi et Booba, on se retrouve sur le coté hardcore" 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. With the 2014 reissue Or Noir Part 2, the album is certified platinum.
On 30 March 2015, Kaaris released his studio album Le bruit de mon âme. The record includes featuring including Lacrim, 13 Block or Future. 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.
A year after the release of Okou Gnakouri, on 3 Novembre 2017, he released the album Dozo.
On 25 January 2019, he released the album Or Noir Part 3, going back to a trap style and following his 2013 album.
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.
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.
In 2023, Kaaris featured in the Netflix film, "In His Shadow".
Legal history 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.
Discography
Albums YearAlbumPeak positions FRA BEL(Fl) BEL(Wa) SWI2013Or Noir3—12352014Or Noir Part II13716413632015Le bruit de mon âme418814222016Okou Gnakouri8—21572017Dozo31599592019Or Noir Part 3211421320202.7.04505132022SVR11065122023Day One——27232026Byakugan2—910
Mixtapes and street albums YearAlbumPeak positions FRA200743eme Bima2012Z.E.R.O1412015Double Fuck1
Singles YearSinglePeak positionsAlbum FRA BEL(Wa)2013"Zoo"78Or Noir"Binks"51"Paradis ou enfer"512014"Sombre"41Or Noir Part II"Comme Gucci Mane"34Le bruit de mon âme"Se-Vrak"165"80 Zetrei"2545*(Ultratip)2015"Le bruit de mon âme"2435*(Ultratip) 2016"Bambou"155Braqueurs soundtrack"Blow"2616*(Ultratip) Okou Gnakouri"C'est pas pareil (Remix)"(with Seth Gueko)184 2017"Dozo"1347Dozo"Kébra"3213*(Ultratip)"Bling Bling"(feat. Kalash Criminel and Sofiane)743*(Ultratip)2018"G.O.K.O.U"1919*(Ultratip)"Aborigène"70"Livraison"28"Débrouillard"49Or Noir Part 32019"Aieaieouille"239*(Ultratip)"Omega"712020"Goulag"54*(Ultratip)"NRV"814*(Ultratip)2021"Château noir"8"Hallyday"962022"Apocalypse"2462024"Panama"729 *Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.
Featured in YearSinglePeak positionsAlbum FRA2012"Kalash" (Booba feat. Kaaris)116Booba albumFutur2014"La mort ou tchitchi" (Niro feat. Kaaris)38Niro albumMiraculé2015"Bouteilles et glocks" (Dosseh feat. Kaaris)38Dosseh albumPerestroïka2016"Arrêt du cœur" (Kalash Criminel & Kaaris)61Kalash Criminel albumRAS2018"Mistigris" (Sofiane feat. Kaaris)13"GB" (Lartiste feat. Kaaris X DJ Mc Fly)62"Il se passe quoi" (Mac Tyer feat. Kaaris & Sofiane)107Mac Tyer album C'est la street mon pote2019"D'une autre manière" (Da Uzi feat. Kaaris)101Da Uzi albumMexico2020"Embourgeoisé " (Kofs feat. Kaaris)90Kofs albumSanté & bonheur
Other charted songs YearSongPeak positionsAlbum FRA BEL,small>(Wa) 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)19Le bruit de mon âme"El Chapo"(feat. Lacrim)123"Zone de transit"155"Terrain"65Double 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"3510*(Ultratip) Okou Gnakouri"Poussière"39"Tchoin"740"4matic"(feat. Kalash Criminel)141"2.7 Zéro 10. 17"(feat. Gucci Mane)164"Contact"183"Benz"1992017"Je suis gninnin, je suis bien"20Dozo"Diarabi"67*(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"832018"Rafaler" (with 4Keus Gang, Q.E Favelas & Mac Kregor)13193 Empire"Empire" (with Sofiane)8"Nouvelle monnaie" (with Landy & Sofiane)34"Pas le choix" (with Lartiste & Sofiane)902019"Cigarette" (feat. SCH)12Or Noir Part 3"Chien de la casse"22"Gun Salute"1425*(Ultratip)"Golf7 R"27"Briganté" (feat. Mac Tyer & Sofiane)33"Dévalisé"36"Monsieur Météo"43"Octogone"1312*(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 Films Braqueurs (2015) Overdrive (2017) The Bouncer (2018) Bronx (2020) The King of Shadows (Netflix Film) (2023)
Music videos YearTitleDirectorAlbum2007Mets moi prem'sNC43e Bima2009De l'autre côté de la nuit (feat. Mac Kregor)NCNC2009Une armée de soucisNCNC2010Vendeur de Nah Nah (feat. Despo Rutti)NCNCMafia MusikNCNCCe que tu veuxNCNC2012HoudiniNCZ.E.R.O.L'Hôte funesteNCBon qu'à çaNCLe LégisteChris Macari2013ZooOr noirBinksParadis ou enferDès le départ63Or noirGreg Ohrel & Lionel Hirle2014S.E.V.R.A.NNathalie CanguilhemOr noir : Part IISe-VrakNicolas NoëlLe bruit de mon âmeComme Gucci ManeJulien Leclercq80 ZetreiDEKDEK2015Mauvais Djo (feat. Ixzo, Worms T & Solo Le Mythe)MagnumAmar LoudarenneLe bruit de mon âmeDEKDEKCrystal (feat. Future)Nicolas NoëlZone de transitKadirovTerrainDouble FuckC'est la base (feat. XV Barbar)SinaloaTalsadoum / Double FuckCarlos Guerra2016BambouKahina CarinaNCBlowCedrick CaylaOkou GnakouriNador2017DozoBeat BounceDozoKébraChillBling Bling (feat. Sofiane & Kalash Criminel)Cédrick Cayla2018DiarabiG.O.K.O.U
References
External links Facebook