Damso

Damso (born William Kalubi in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 10, 1992) is a rapper and beatmaker from Brussels, Belgium. Author, composer and performer, he is also a member of the OPG (Original Player Gansta) collective, which includes artists Dolfa, Rex, Lio Brown and Ducke. Damso's first production, Salle d'Attente, was released for free in 2014. In 2016, he signed with Universal and entered the French bestseller charts with the single "Débrouillard", followed by "Bruxellesvie", ranked at #187 and #101 respectively. This rise paves the way for the release of his debut album, Batterie Faible, in July 2016. It was then less than a year before the rapper delivered a second album entitled Ipséité, unveiled slightly ahead of schedule due to a prior leak on the internet. Very dark, this new collection offers a more polished production than its predecessor, recorded in a hurry according to the rapper himself. Attacked for his sexist lyrics, the Belgian rapper continues his momentum with a suite of singles not included on his third album Lithopédion, released in June 2018, two days after a new leak of content. Crowned with a Victoire de la musique award for best rap album, the triple platinum-certified album was promoted on an international tour that included a stint at the Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy. After collaborations with Orelsan, Nekfeu, Dadju, Vegedream, Kalash and Ninho, Damso announces that he has been working for several years on the album QALF (whose initials stand for "Qui Aime Like Follow"). Released on his own TheVie Music label in September 2020, it features fourteen chart-topping tracks, including the duet with Hamza "BXL Zoo" (#1 in Belgium), and contributions from Lous and the Yakuza and Fally Ipupa. One month later, the album, which reached number 1 in the French sales charts, was certified platinum. After the release of QALF Infinity in 2021, an expanded version of his last album and its live counterpart QALF Live in 2023, Damso releases the compilation Vieux Sons (2024), which reaches #2 in France. This was followed later that year by the original album J'ai Menti, featuring contributions from Kalash Criminel, Kalash (Kevin Valleray), Angèle and Michkavie.