Gandhi Alimasi Djuna (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-smallfont-size:85%.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-smallfont-size:100%French pronunciation: [ɡɑ̃di bilɛl dʒuna]; born 6 May 1986), better known by his stage name Matre Gims (French: [mɛtʁə ɡims]) and more recently just Gims (/ɡɪms/, GHIMSS; sometimes stylized in all caps), is a Congolese-French[1] singer, rapper, producer, and songwriter. He grew up in France and currently lives in France and Morocco. He is a former member of the hip hop group Sexion d'Assaut and released his first major album, Subliminal in 2013. The album sold over a million copies in France and peaked at number two in the Syndicat National de l'dition Phonographique. His other two albums follow: Mon cœur avait raison in 2015 and Ceinture noire in 2018 reached number one in France and Belgium (Wallonia) and peaked in the top 40 in various European countries, including Denmark, Italy, and Switzerland.[2]
He has topped the French singles chart four times, including once as a featured artist, most recently in 2018 with his song "La mme". The song was the most performed in France in 2018 and it helped Gims become the most performed artist on French television and radio for the same year.[3] In 2018, he was the seventh most performed artist in the world on Deezer.[4] During his career he has worked with several international artists such as Sia, Pitbull, Lil Wayne, Stromae, Maluma, Sting, and others.[5] He has sold over 5 million records,[6] including 3 million albums since the start of his career.
In 2020, he won the International Artist of the Year in Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards after his featuring in Mohamed Ramadan's song "Ya Habibi". On 17 September 2020, Netflix released a documentary about the last ten years of his career titled Gims: On the Record.[7][8] In 2022, he played the song "Arhbo" for the 2022 FIFA World Cup along with Ozuna, which they also performed during the closing ceremony.[9]
Gandhi Djuna was born on 6 May 1986 in Kinshasa, Zaire (Now the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1997). He comes from a family of musicians: his father Djanana Djuna is the singer of Papa Wemba's Viva La Musica troupe. His parents, who were undocumented immigrants, moved to France in 1988 when he was two years old.
Because of his parents hiding, he explains having had a difficult childhood. He was placed with foster families, before living in squats until he was 18 years old. This passage from his life is mentioned in his book Vise le soleil. He is part of a family of fourteen children. He is the brother of Dadju, member of the group The Shin Seka, of Bedjik, Afi (formerly Xgangs) and Djelass, all three of them rappers.[10] On his first album Subliminal (2013), they participate in the song "Outsider".[11] Gims grew up in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. His family then moved to the 9th arrondissement and finally to the 19th arrondissement. Gims studied graphic design and communication.[12]
In 2002, Gims formed with the rappers JR O Crom and Makan the trio Prototype 3015. The name of the group was chosen in reference to a film, mainly for its "combative" meaning. The name Sexion d'Assaut also includes a reference to the Sturmabteilung (SA), in French "Section d'Assaut", a famous Nazi paramilitary unit, which the group learns by chance during a concert for the City of Paris.[13] In 2005, the trio merged with Assonance, another group from the Sexion d'Assaut collective. The group is now called 3rd Prototype.
After a few pieces produced independently, Sexion d'Assault meets their agent, Dawala, in the cellars of Chtelet-Les Halles in Paris. With Dawala, the 3rd Prototype released its first mixtape, La Terre du Milieu, on 13 May 2006. Gims designed the CD cover. In 2007, they released the album Le Renouveau, which contained the well-known piece "Anti Tectonick".
Through Prototype 3015 first, then Prototype 3, Gims is part of the Sexion d'Assaut supergroup. Sexion d'Assaut released his first songs between 2002 and 2003. Among them, we find Gang yaba Gang, Coup 2 pression and Frres de rue. With Sexion d'Assault, Gims participates twice in the 12 Inch'All Star, a famous rap competition in the Parisian underground which takes place at the Batofar. He came in second place and gained notoriety, now known as one of the best kickers (freestylers) in France.
Sexion d'Assaut's second street album, L'crasement de tte, was released in May 2009 on Because Music.[14] The last sub-entity of the supergroup, 3rd Prototype, disappears completely. Lcrasement de tte acquired a certain notoriety with the general public thanks to titles and music videos, including "T'es bte ou quoi?" and "Wati Bon Son" (in collaboration with Dry). Sexion d'Assaut goes on tour, notably opening for Orelsan and Medina. The Head Crush sells more than 50,000 copies. Following the release of Lcrasement de tte, the group left Because Music due to misunderstandings and signed with Sony Music Entertainment.
In 2010, Sexion d'Assaut released the studio album L'cole des points vitaux.[15] Gims is credited there as a singer-songwriter. He composed the instrumental tracks of several pieces, including "Ils appellent a "Casquette l'envers". Other beatmakers also participate in the album, such as SoulChildren with "La drogue te donne des ailes". The album met with great success with the general public, selling over 400,000 copies. The group opens for Suprme NTM at the Parc des Princes and performs at the Znith de Paris.[16]
In April 2011, a controversy broke out over the group's openly homophobic claims. In reaction to criticism, Sexion d'Assaut decided to release a mixtape entitled En attendant L'Apoge: les Chroniques du 75,[17] which despite everything met with success with titles like "Paris va bien" and "Qui t'a dit". The project contains a DVD including a video of one of the songs, as well as a documentary retracing the group's journey.
In March 2012, they released their second album, L'Apoge,[18] which was more successful than the first. The album sold over 700,000 copies. The same year, Gims published an online comic entitled Au cœur du vortex.
In parallel with his career with Sexion d'Assaut, Gims tried his hand at musical composition. At the end of 2006, he released his first solo project, an Extended play entitled Pour ceux qui dorment les yeux ouverts.[19] The EP is produced by ATK's Fredy K and Noko.[20] With a very limited pressing, the disc aims to make Gims known to the general public.[21] The record features tracks with Sexion d'Assaut, Scred Connexion rapper Koma and a singer named Carole.[22]
On 29 January 2013, in the video Welcome to the Wa Part. 4: La Consecration, Gims announces the release of his first solo studio album, Subliminal, for 20 May 2013. On 1 March Gims publishes "Meurtre par strangulation". On 15 March he unveils "J'me tire", his second single which remains ranked number 1 on the French charts for four consecutive weeks, the clip being released on 10 April 2013. In an interview on the Rapelite.com site, Gims confirms the presence of rapper Pitbull on a track entitled "Pas touch". His three brothers, Bedjik, Dadju and X-Gang, from the group MM Solja, are reunited on the track "Outsider".
On 4 May he published "Bella". On 13 May it broadcasts "VQ2PQ" exclusively on Skyrock. On 14 May it broadcasts, still exclusively, It Works, in collaboration with The Shin Seka. Subliminal is released on 20 May.
To promote it, Gims unveils previously unreleased tracks, which will not be part of the album, in the form of a series of video clips entitled This is not a clip. On the commercial side, the album is certified double diamond disc with more than 1 million sales.[23]
On 31 May 2013, he performed his first solo concert at the Olympia.[24] He participates in the album Racine carre of Stromae on the song "AVF" featuring with Orelsan. Gims announces that he wants to take a break after the last date of the Sexion d'Assaut tour, 28 September 2013 at the Stade de France for Urban Peace, which also brings together IAM, Orelsan, Youssoupha, La Fouine, Psy 4 de la Rime, Rohff and Stromae. He also intends to take care of his couple and his four children, whom he says he has seen too little because of his career (the oldest of his four children was born around 2008 and the youngest in 2013). The new Sexion d'Assaut album is then scheduled for November 2015.
In September 2013, he participated in the single "Game Over" by singer Vitaa.[25] The song ranks first in sales of singles in France.[26] On 22 November 2013, Gims unveils his new clip "Changer", which ranks 17th for the week of 1 December 2013.[27] With this ballad, Gims hopes to reach a new, wider audience.
In February 2014, Gims was nominated in the Urban Music category at the Victoires de la Musique, but the award was finally awarded to the 1995 group. His solo career was nonetheless a success. According to the magazine Challenges, the singer is the second highest paid French artist of 2013, behind Mylne Farmer but just ahead of Johnny Hallyday.[28]
In parallel with the announcement of his Warano Tour, Gims published videos via social networks with extracts of songs that turned out to be those of his future album. In addition, he announces the release on 20 February 2016 of the seventh video of This is not a clip with Fuck Ramses which could not take place.
Although announced for the month of March, the release of the first single from the album "Est-ce que tu m'aimes?" took place on 28 April on Skyrock. In addition, he announces that the album will be divided into two parts: the Blue Pill which is a part made up of urban pop songs, and the Red Pill which is oriented towards rap. This concept was inspired by the movie The Matrix. Some time later, the first single from The Red Pill titled "Melynda Gates" followed by a clip is released.
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