Baloji1

Baloji, former MC of Starflam, is a Belgian rapper with Congolese roots. Born in Lubumbashi, he lived in Kinshasa, Ostende and Liège where he started his career. Baloji means sorcerer, a fitting name for a man who has transformed himself from one of the most successful MCs from the French scene into a producer, musician, rapper and all-round musical wizard. After leaving Starflam in 2004, he decided to leave the music business for good. After 25 years without any contact, he received a letter from his mother. As they spoke on the phone she asked him what he had done in all those years. After a lot of reflection he finally answered and produced an acclaimed biographic album titled Hotel Impala, featuring the likes of Amp Fiddler. It told the personal story of Baloji’s return to Africa to find his mother and finding a more intense experience of joy, guilt, confusion and insight than he bargained for.  His 2010 album, Kinshasa Succursale,  was a re-recording of Hotel Impala in the style of Soulwax Nite versions with local Congolese musicians. The sessions were so inspiring, they gave birth to five completely new tracks. The first single Karibu Ya Bintou (Welcome to Life in Limbo) features Konono N°1, the legendary band you keep hearing about in Vampire Weekend and David Byrne interviews (they also collaborated with Bjork on her Volta album). The track was accompanied by a visceral short film, shot on the streets of Kinshasa, site of the infamous Rumble in the Jungle of Muhammad Ali.

www.baloji.com