Gradur

French rapper Gradur is of Congolese origin and was born in Roubaix, Nord in 1990. His birth name is Wanani Gradi Mariadi and he rose to prominence through a series of self-published freestyles on social media performed in conjunction with the rap band 59. He built his own rap collective known as the Sheguey Squad and the group's 2014 mixtape 'ShegueyVara' with its accompanying video 'Traction' paved the way for Mariadi's much-anticipated debut album the following year.

The critically-acclaimed album was titled 'L'homme au Bob' and featured a series of collaborations from established artists Niro, Lacrim, Alonso and Migos. Upon its release it exceeded commercial expectations by topping the French charts in 2015. With his reputation firmly established, Mariadi released two more albums,'Where Is l'Album de Gradur' in 2016 and 'Zone 59' in 2019, both of which made the top five in the French Album Charts.