French rapper Werenoi has died at the age of 31, his producer confirmed on Saturday via the social media platform X.
Producer Babs wrote, “Rest in peace, my brother,” on X, corroborating media reports that Werenoi passed away in a hospital after a sudden deterioration in his health.
Werenoi, whose real name was Jérémy Bana Owona, was of Cameroonian descent and grew up in Montreuil, France. Despite being relatively unknown outside the hip hop scene, he dominated the French music charts in recent years. According to the French music industry body SNEP (Syndicat National de l’Édition Phonographique), he sold the most albums in France in both 2023 and 2024. Werenoi had over 300,000 monthly listeners from Brussels on music streaming service Spotify.
Despite his commercial success, Werenoi remained a private figure, known for his discretion and humility. He preferred the solitude of the studio and avoided the spotlight. In a January 2024 interview with Le Parisien, he said, “I like to keep my private life to myself. If you talk too much, you may say things you don’t want to say. I prefer mystery. I say enough about myself in my lyrics.”
