Gradur

Born in Roublaix on November 28, 1990, Wanani Gradi Mariadi, aka Gradur, delivers a virile rap that confronts the realities of the street. Born into a family originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gradur grew up in the north of France, graduating with a BTS in business management. After a brief detour into the army, Gradur realized that rap was the business of his life. He received a helping hand from Booba, who appreciated his remix of "Ma mort vous va si bien". Applying the precept "one song, one clip", Gradur sees his popularity grow very quickly. In October 2014, he released the mixtape Sheguey Vara and experienced his first top-flight thrills with "Terrasser " in November 2014. His debut album, L'Homme au Bob, was released in February 2015. Nine months later, Gradur released a new mixtape, Sheguey Vara Vol. 2, a double album featuring thirty new songs mixing virile rap and more pop tracks. In contrast, his successor, Where Is l'Album de Gradur (2016), essentially returns to the hardcore rap that made his reputation. In 2019, his rise was even stronger with the release of the album Zone 59, a tribute to his home region, ranked #5 on the SNEP chart, including the hit "Rari " (#6) and the duet with Heuss l'Enfoiré "Ne reviens pas", his first number one. The rapper continued into the 2020s with a series of singles including "Trucs de choses" with Franglish (2021), "Mon BB" with Hamza (2023), and "Resta du ghetto" and "Congolaise " in 2025. The latter track is part of the Le Mouvement Gradur EP, featuring Guy2Bezbar, Niska, L2B, SDM, Risko, as well as Ninho, Damso and Josman on "Free Congo". The same year, 2025, saw the release of the Congolese-influenced album Freestyles Sheguey, with contributions from Niska, Ixzo, MCG and ISK.