Niro is the stage name of French rapper Noureddine Bahri (born on July 9, 1987), whose street-tough persona and evocative storytelling skills put him at the forefront of the Gallic rap de rue scene. Bahri’s beginnings in hip-hop trace back to 2007, when he became the first independent act to be signed by the underground label Street Lourd. Following the release of the singles “70 KG” and “Pikassos,” and a couple of guest appearances in mixtapes by fellow MCs Jeff Le Nerf and Booba in 2011, Bahri put out Paraplégique (2012), his highly-anticipated street tape. Spearheaded by singles “Père Fourra” and “Que du vécu,” the album solidified his status as one of French rap’s most promising talents. Shortly after, the rapper had to face a five-month prison sentence that inspired Réeducation (2013), a vivid recall of his brief stint in jail and his first mixtape for Universal Music. He followed up with Miraculé (2014), his studio debut, which peaked at Number 6 on the Top Album Chart and took him on a tour throughout France that culminated in a sold-out show at Le Bataclan. Bahri continued his winning streak with Si je me souviens (2015), Or Game (2016), and Les Autres (2016), which obtained gold certification after selling more than 50,000 copies. 2017 saw the release of the surprise albums OX7 and M8RE, both of which blew up on streaming platforms without any kind of formal promotion from Niro’s label. In subsequent years, Bahri’s prolificness reached new heights with the Stupéfiant series in 2019 and Sale môme (2020), which peaked at Number 4 on the French Album Charts and spawned the single “J’dois l’oublier.”
