Passi

Passi, full name Passi Balende, born on 21 December 1972 in Brazzaville, Congo, is a French-Congolese rapper, singer, composer, producer, actor, and director. He is considered by the specialised press to be one of the founding fathers of French rap, alongside NTM, IAM, Assassin, and MC Solaar.

He began rapping in the early 1990s as a founding member of Ministère A.M.E.R. alongside Stomy Bugsy, with whom he collaborated between 1989 and 1994, and with Kenzy, Bouboule, and DJ Ghetch, he created the collective Secteur Ä. They produced and managed groups such as Nèg' Marrons, Ärsenik, and artists like Doc Gynéco.

Passi then decided to embark on a solo career and released his first album, Les Tentations, in 1997. In 1998, he created his label Issap productions, with which he produced artists and projects such as Dis L'Heure 2 Zouk and Bisso Na Bisso. Several other solo albums followed.