Vald

A latecomer to hip-hop, French rapper Valentin Le Du (born on July 15, 1992), aka Vald, obtained a high school degree in science before discovering rap as a teenager. Mostly known for his comedic lyrical content, he draws inspiration from conspiracy theories and horror films. Influenced by the likes of Alkpote and Sexion d’Assaut, Le Du started rapping at the age of 17 and then moved on to study medicine before completing a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics/Information. NQNTMQMQMB, his mixtape debut, arrived in 2012 and was followed by an EP entitled NQNT two years later. The accompanying video for “Bonjour,” one of the EP’s singles, gained traction as it quickly amassed millions of views on the rapper’s video streaming channel. This garnered the attention of Capitol Records, who released Le Du’s studio debut, Agartha, in 2017. The blockbuster album quickly rose to the top of the charts in France and obtained double-platinum certification propelled by the singles “Ma meilleure amie” and the Damso duet “Vitrine.” 2018 found the MC from Aulnay-sous-Bois dropping another Number 1 record with the critically-acclaimed XEU, whose star-studded lineup featured Sirius, Suik'on Blaz AD et Sofiane. A third album entitled Ce Monde Est Cruel saw the light in 2019 and also soared to the top of the French charts as Le Du founded his own record label, Echelon Music. In 2020, he joined forces with fellow rapper Heuss l’Enfoiré for Horizontal Vertical, a collaborative album that was preceded by the singles “Guccissima” and “Matrixé.” V, his third album to hit Number 1 in France, appeared in 2022 and spawned the chart-topping Orelsan-featured hit, "Peon,"