Who is Nekfeu, the discreet rap idol, accused of sexual violence?

« I know the risks of love but I still love risk »sang the rapper Nekfeu in 2018, in his title Laughable loves. The life of the 34-year-old artist, who evokes the depth of his romantic relationships in his song Galatea and the quest for sincerity in Plume, involuntarily finds himself in the spotlight. For a week, the rapper has been accused of “psychological, sexual and physical violence” by his ex-partner. The latter claims that the acts were committed during their relationship, that is to say for almost four years. In a statement published by his lawyer on years.

« Wait, Nekfeu has a child? »asks an Internet user, visibly more concerned about the rapper’s private life than the accusations. Nekfeu – the Jean-Jacques Goldman of French rap – cultivates his discreet image and most of his fans are now discovering the existence of his ex-partner and his child. Unlike many rappers (like Jul, Ninho or Booba), he refuses almost all interviews and even left social networks in 2019. His last appearance on stage dates back to 2022.

An artist with varied influences, from Brassens to Tolstoy, Nekfeu addresses themes such as urban life, romantic relationships and the impact of technologies on the mental health of young people in his texts. He positions himself as a fervent political opponent of the far right. In ten years, he released three solo albums, all successful, his last reaching the double diamond disc (one million sales). He has also collaborated with artists like Clara Luciani and Vanessa Paradis, and made his film debut in 2017 alongside Catherine Deneuve in Everything separates us.

Beginnings in Parisian rap collectives

Originally from the suburbs of Nice, Ken Samaras began his career in Paris in the collectives S-Crew, 1995 and L’Entourage. In 2015, his first album Feu met with dazzling success. It’s even is his most listened to track today with 137 million plays on Spotify. Known for his gentleness and his poetry, Nekfeu distinguishes himself from rap stereotypes, which sometimes earns him criticism. In September 2015, Nekfeu was crushed by Yann Moix on the set of “On n’est pas couch”: « We have the impression that these are guys taking crack but in Petit Nicolas’s playground. It’s ultra-violence over the kindness of Care Bears. » Nekfeu responds calmly: « Inner peace is one of my inspirations. I’m glad I made my violence sweet to your ears. »

His second album, Cyborgreleased in 2016 and addresses the often toxic relationship young people have with technology, while confirming its distance from the media. The media Interlude specializing in pop and urban culture news, estimates four years after its release that « Cyborg remains a UFO of French rap”. In 2019, he announced the release of Wandering stars. On the day of its release, he published his third album of the same name, which allows him to become one of the rare rappers to obtain three diamond records. In 2022, he made his last appearances on stage alongside his rapper friends Laylow and Dinos.

« Cyborg remains a UFO of French rap. »

Interlude, media specializing in pop and urban culture.

Today, while he is raising his son, he announces that he has been in divorce proceedings for three years. In his press release, he declared: « [Mon ex-compagne] tried to use our child to get to me. It is in this context that custody of our child was entrusted to me. » Could the accusations against him tarnish his smooth image? Nekfeu seems aware that his credibility is at stake: « I myself once said with aplomb that there is smoke without fire on this subject, but life has shown me that on rare occasions other motivations can come into play, This is my case today. »