Ärsenik

Ärsenik – Gaëlino M'Bani (Lino) and Calboni M'Bani (Calbo) were born on 9 March 1992 in Villiers‑le‑Bel, Val‑d’Oise, France. The brothers, both of Congolese‑Brazilian descent, formed the rap duo in 1992 and first appeared on the 1995 compilation L'Art d'Utiliser Son Savoir with the track "Ball‑trap". Their breakthrough came with the 1998 single "Boxe avec les mots", which helped launch their debut studio album Quelques Gouttes Suffisent… on 5 June 1998; the album reached Number 8 on the French charts and was certified double gold in 2001. In 2002, they released Quelque Chose A Survécu…, again peaking at Number 8 in France and Number 27 in Belgium, and the single "P.O.I.S.O.N." gained notable airplay. A compilation, S'il En Reste Quelque Chose…, was issued in 2007, consolidating their popular tracks. The duo continued to collaborate with prominent French hip‑hop acts, including Stomy Bugsy and Passi, and performed extensively across France and internationally. The group disbanded following Calbo’s death on 4 January 2026 at age 53, an event mourned by the French rap community.