Rapper **Werenoi**, number one in **album sales** in **France** for both 2023 and 2024, passed away at the age of **31**, as announced by his producer on **May 17** via social media platform X. “Rest in peace my brother,” he lamented, confirmed by various press outlets reporting the rapper’s death at the hospital.
Born **Jérémy Bana Owona**, Werenoi had an astonishingly rapid rise to **fame**, becoming the **top-selling artist** in France for two consecutive years, according to the **National Union of Phonographic Edit (SNEP)**. Despite his **massive success**, he remained relatively obscure outside the rap community due to his commitment to **media discretion**.
Werenoi embraced a sense of **modesty** and **reserve** instilled by his **Cameroonian family** background. In an interview with the **Parisian** in January 2024, he expressed his surprise at reaching such heights, stating, “It’s still a surprise, but it means that we have done a good job.” He further noted, “We didn’t celebrate it. You have to keep your head on your shoulders, in life in general. This is the education I received.” He emphasized that **success** came swiftly, attributing it largely to **hard work**. “I almost spend my life in the studio,” he confessed.
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Album selection: **Alexandre Scriabine**, **Ophélie Gaillard**, **David Bowie**, **Tunde Adebimpe**, **Werenoi**, **Salif Keita**.
“I Prefer the Mystery”
Originally hailing from **Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis)**, Werenoi expressed that he revealed everything through his music. His third album, **Black Diamond**, released in April 2025, opened with a striking confession in the title track, Pony: “I have to empty my heart, I have to fill the notebook.” **Stéphanie Binet**, a journalist with the **World**, encapsulated his artistic essence as follows:
A few piano notes, a slightly modified voice with **autotune**, a feigned melancholy, and a touch of grime misogyny (“It is good, it is beautiful/We have already dismantled it, we have already reassembled it”). On Jealous, he did not even credit the singer **Sneaky** in the track listing; only **SDM** and **Vacra** were honored in that regard.
His artistic universe leaned toward the dark and pessimistic; however, his melodies remained striking, especially when compared to the likes of **Damso**, **Ninho**, **Gunna**, and **Lil Tjay** on tracks like Gulfstream and Ftr.
Werenoi often presented a neutral expression while donning sunglasses, reserving his emotional expressions solely for the audiences at his concerts. “I prefer to keep my private life for me. To talk too much can lead to revealing things you don’t want to say. I prefer the **mystery**. I say enough about myself in my texts,” he stated, reinforcing his commitment to privacy.