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Who's Lous And The Yakuza ?
Born in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1996, Marie-Pierre Kakoma from her real name, became in a few months one of the best French-speaking female artists. Living in the DRC and of Rwandan origin, the mother of Lous and the Yakuza was forced to leave the country due to the country's great instability and political conflicts. At the age of 4, the artist joined her mum in Belgium as a political refugee and finally got her permanent resident status in 2011.
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Fascinated by the art world and inspired by various cultures - such as Japanese and African - the artist took the name of Lous "Soul" in back-slang and Yakuza - a Japanese word for marginalized people - in honour of her team who remain in the shadows to support her. Before her rise, following bad decisions, the artist found herself on the street at the age of 15. Confronted with the harsh reality of the night world, she draws inspiration from it in her songs.
In 2016, she appeared in Damso's clip "BruxellesVie". Through her perseverance and her huge talent, she signed in 2018 with Columbia France. Her singles "Dilemme" and "Tout Est Gore" in 2019, allowed her to know a big success thanks to her state of mind as well as her offbeat clips which allow her to differentiate herself from other artists.
Lous and The Yakuza breakthrough the music industry and her first album has been produced by El Guincho and named Gore. It was also reminiscent of the events she went through in the past. Gore allowed her to meet a real commercial success and confirmed her reputation as an artist to follow. This introspective and poetic album reveals the personality and creativity of this artist. We find songs such as "Messes Basses" or "Corps Et Âmes" reflecting her life and the struggles she faced. The artist, who previously didn't know to which black female artists she could identify herself, became a source of inspiration for the public.
Lous and the Yakuza is still working on some projects, notably with the collective Jeune Club in collaboration with her friend-artist Krisy. We can also find her on her YouTube channel through 5 episodes summarizing her career and the promotion of her album.
Instagram: LousAndTheYakuza
