Two associations fighting against homophobia filed a complaint on Thursday against the rapper Kaaris, considering that one of his songs, released in 2013 but performed at the end of February in concert in Paris, amounted to provocation of public hatred, it was announced on Friday their lawyer.
The rapper, aged 44, gave a concert on February 29 at the Accor Arena in Paris, where he celebrated the tenth anniversary of his album “Or noir”.
This album marked a turning point in French-speaking rap, with a style labeled hardcore with lyrics irrigated by violence and excesses.
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Kaaris, whose real name is Gnakouri Okou, notably performed his song “Zoo”, filmed and broadcast on social networks.
“If these fags burn with napalm, I want the prize”
According to the complaint against public violence against a group of people because of their sexual orientation and public incitement to hatred or violence against a group of people because of their sexual orientation.
Kaaris continues to sing his song "Zoo", released in 2013, whose lyrics are clearly homophobic: "Fuck Brandon and Dylan, If these b*des burn with napalm I want the prize".pic.twitter.com/ 3RvnYlUQIf
— Le coin des LGBT+ (@lecoindeslgbt) March 8, 2024
“Kaaris comes from West Africa, where many countries penalize homosexuality and where sexual violence against LGBT people is common,” Me Etienne Deshoulières, lawyer for the associations, told AFP.
“The insults and incitements to homophobic violence in his songs have real repercussions for the people concerned,” he insisted.
The complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor's office on Thursday, which must now analyze it to launch more in-depth investigations or close it.
Kaaris “perfectly serene”
“There is no homophobia in my client’s comments,” responded Kaaris’ lawyer.
“I am very surprised that the complaint has been filed now, when the song was released in 2013” underlined Me Yassine Yakouti, assuring that Kaaris was “perfectly calm in the face of these rantings”.
This complaint “aims either to make associations talk”, or “to censor the artistic expression of my client”, Mr. Yakouti was further indignant.
The rapper has already had to deal with the law on several occasions.
He was recently acquitted by the Évry criminal court for acts of domestic violence of which his ex-partner accused him.
He had also already gone to court in the fall of 2018 for particularly high-profile incidents: a fight involving the rapper and his former mentor-star, Booba, as well as their respective entourages in a Paris airport.
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The two artists were sentenced to 18 months in prison.