We are very proud and excited that he has decided to share his genius and experience with our teams at Universal Music Africa to make his talent shine brighter than ever on the African continent, and highlight the fantastic creative breeding ground of this region.” Booba is an incredible reference beyond the French borders and particularly in West Africa. We are extremely happy to have him as a very privileged partner for many years. He is a megastar, and he is also a great talent scout. Olivier Nusse, CEO, Universal Music France, said: “Booba is an outstanding artist who has dominated the urban music market in France for over 20 years. We are excited to work together with him to make 92i Africa, a home for some of Africa’s most exciting artists, and to help give them a step-forward onto the global stage.”
He is an artist and entrepreneur that Africa is so proud of, so it is an honour to help make his deep catalogue of groundbreaking music available across the continent for the first time. He also owns his own whiskey brand, DUC.įranck Kacou, MD, Universal Music Africa, said: “Booba has been one of the most important and influential rap artists, inspiring new generations of French and African hip-hop talent for decades. Booba will use 92i Africa, and his partnership with UMA, as a building platform to help elevate African music talent to new audiences around the world and support the local music ecosystem within French-speaking Africa.īooba has launched several successful clothing brands and stores including La Piraterie, Unkut and Disconnected. His latest album, Ultra, released in March 2021 via Tallac Records/UMF, has already achieved more than 300 million streams worldwide in its first few months since release.Īs a producer, Booba has discovered, recorded and released successful artists including Damso, Shay and Bramsito through his labels. His live performances have also broken records in France, becoming the first rapper to sell out both Paris’ 20,000 capacity Accor Arena (twice), and the 40,000 capacity La Defense Arena. 92i Africa will also provide a suite of services for its artists including brand and marketing partnerships, live music production and touring services, and will be based out of UMA’s regional headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.īooba, a French native of Senegalese descent, is one of French rap’s most successful artists of all time, breaking domestic sales records, whilst achieving numerous diamond, platinum and gold certified records in France, selling in-excess of 10 million albums. The label will focus on signing and developing the best in African rap and hip-hop talent and launches with the signings of DopeBoy DMG (Senegal) and Didi B (Cote d'Ivoire). The deal also marks the launch of 92i Africa, a new division of his 92 i brand, in partnership with UMA and Universal Music France (UMF), his long-term distributor and partner in his Tallac Records and 92i brands. The exclusive deal will see Booba’s entire catalogue, spanning 10 albums and almost two decades, available for the first time across the continent and will also include future releases. Universal Music Africa has announced a strategic pan-African distribution partnership with leading French rapper and entrepreneur Booba and his Tallac Records label.