Baloji (rapper)

Career

Born out of wedlock to a Belgian father and a Congolese mother, he moved to Belgium with his father to live in Ostende losing all contact with his mother. Feeling estranged in his new environment and after disputes with his father and petty crimes and problems with police, he quit home and lived in a youth delinquent house working on his passion of rap and dance. Alongside his friends, he started the hip hop band Starflam at age 15. The band's self-titled debut album in 1998 was Starflam and the follow-up album Survivant released on Capitol / EMI in 2001 went platinum and was rereleased with a Survivant - Édition Spéciale in EMI the following year. In 2013, the band had yet another studio album Donne moi de l'amour. But after differences with the other members of the band, Baloji quit music in 2004.

After Baloji discovered a letter from his mother that he hadn't seen since 1981, and after winning a poetry competition in Paris, France, he decided to return to music in 2006 as a solo artist. His debut solo album in 2008 entitled Hotel Impala was an autobiographical album about his life, including a hearty response to his mother's letter. The album was certified gold, with the album winning two "Octaves de la musique" awards as well as Rapsat-Lelièvre Award and Brassens Awards for Lyricists. He followed it up with albums Kinshasa Succursale in 2010 and 64 Bits and Malachite in 2015.

Albums

Maxis and singles