Werenoi dead: Rapper dies aged 31 just hours before scheduled concert

French rapper Werenoi has died aged just 31 - hours before he was scheduled to perform a concert. His producer Babs confirmed the news with a statement that read: "Rest in peace my brother I love you!!!" Local media reports the rap star was hospitalised after doing into cardiorespiratory arrest.

Werenoi, real name Jeremy Bana Owana, was taken to intensive care but died in the early hours of Saturday morning (May 17). Tributes have been flooding in for the star, with radio presenter Musa tweeting: "My condolences to his loved ones..." Someone else posted: "RIP Jeremy Bana Owona."

It comes months after the star fell victim to a "serious injury" and was seen with a cast on his arm. He won Album of the Year at French music awards Les Flammes in 2024, but didn't turn up in person to accept the accolade and instead appeared via video message.

He told fans the injury meant "it's just postponed, we'll see you soon".

Werenoi is known for his hit songs Scarface, Solitaire and Chemin d'or. He had more than 6.7million monthly listeners on Spotify, and released his bestselling album Carre in France in 2023.

Originally hailing from Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, Werenoi had just released his new album Diamant Noir before plunging the rap world into mourning. Rumours about his health had been circulating since Friday (May 16), when he was reported to be in a coma after missing a gig.

But he kept his personal life very private, admitting last year: "I prefer to keep my private life to myself. By talking too much, you can say what you don't want to say. I prefer mystery. I say enough about myself in my lyrics."

He chose his stage name for his Instagram account in 2015, explaining: "Werenoi is how we greet each other, like, 'Yes, my friend'. It's not a [racial] message, not at all." Werenoi launched his own record label, PGP Records, during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020.