Who was Werenoi? France’s chart-topping rapper dies at 31

France's recent chart-topping rapper, Werenoi, has died. The French media have reported that he died on Saturday, May 17, in a hospital in Paris.

The rapper's real name was Jeremy Bana Owona, and he released a total of three albums. He was the No. 1 selling music artist in France in 2023 and 2024, as per the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI). Just 31, Owona had made a name for himself in the French music industry.

As per NME, he suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest on the morning of May 17. He was taken to a hospital in Paris, where he passed away. He had a concert scheduled in Lyon that night as well.

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More about Werenoi's death at just 31

The rapper's record company, Believe, announced his death with a post on Instagram, writing:

“It’s with immense sadness that we’ve learned of Werenoi’s passing. All our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, his team and everyone who knew him.”

Werenoi became famous after his song Guadalajara caught the attention of people in 2021. It received hundreds of thousands of views, making him a known name in the rap world in France.

He then released three albums - Carré in 2023, Pyramide in 2024, and Diamant Noir in 2025. They received a great response as well, making him the No. 1 selling music artist in France in 2023 and 2024. Diamant Noir, meanwhile, reached No. 1 on the French charts.

Owona, notably, had a concert scheduled at the Azar Club in Lyon on May 17. The club later shared in an Instagram post:

“It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Werenoi, a unique artist and a defining voice of his generation, whom we were to welcome this evening to the Azar Club. We remember the talent, strength, and authenticity of an artist who left his mark on his era.”

Owona was also set to perform at Les Flammes 2025 earlier this week, but couldn't. In a now-deleted Instagram post, he disclosed an injury to his right hand, due to which he couldn't perform at the event.

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Tributes flow in for Werenoi after his death

Understandably, the rap world is in shock after Werenoi's death at just 31. His producer, Babs, posted on X:

“Rest in peace my brother, I love you!!!”

Aya Nakamura, a French-Malian pop star who also featured in the rapper's second album, wrote:

“Rest in peace my dude. A news that saddens me and courage to the loved ones especially.”

French pop star Pascal Obispo, who met Owona through his son Sean, also spoke about his death, telling La Parisien:

“My son is very sad and I’m in pain. 31 years old. He was a good guy, very talented, who had so many things to do. Peace to his soul and condolences to his family and friends.”

“We had to continue the adventure and do other things together. We had to see each other, I had prepared for him full of sounds with a beatmaker. It will stay in a computer…”

Obispo collaborated with Owona for the latter's performance at Zenith Paris in 2023.

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