Kanoé dove into the world of rap at a very young age. It was during his childhood that he discovered the culture, and by the age of 13, a standout freestyle performance brought his name into the spotlight.
He hails from Belleville, a symbolic neighborhood straddling the 19th and 20th districts of Paris. Still relatively untouched by the wave of gentrification sweeping the city center, Belleville remains a working-class, multicultural hub. It has been the birthplace of several iconic French rappers, including Mister You, Brulux — who still pays homage to the area — and Moha La Squale, who grew up nearby in what locals call La Banane.
Amidst this fertile creative ground, Kanoé quickly shaped a unique musical identity. In 2023, he released Noé, his debut solo album, featuring a standout collaboration with Jey Brownie on the track Solo. This project marks a major step in the artistic evolution of a rapper in full transformation.
With over 160,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Kanoé has firmly established his presence in the French rap landscape. To bring this vision to life, he worked alongside producer Ambitiou$, a mainstay in the scene since 2016. Together, they delivered Autodidacte #1, a powerful freestyle that blends dark reflections with a surprising sense of maturity.
Kanoé: a true “Autodidact”
The track is produced by both Ambitiou$ and GRKS. These two beatmakers have worked with a long list of notable names, including Zola on Jamais, the collective Le Club, and ICO on BBJTM. Based in Brussels, GRKS is also behind Seinen, a track made for Ziak.
In Autodidacte #1, the instrumental stands out for its haunting piano sample — rising and falling like a heartbeat — layered over a minimalist yet effective rhythm. Despite his young age, Kanoé commands the “noble art” of rap with a precision and boldness that challenge traditional norms. His punchlines are sharp, ironic, and socially conscious:
“For a sugar daddy, she swallows like ice cream”
“They drink piss, for a wire transfer she goes down”
“Weird generation — your sister’s your brother”
“I’m the check she needs to fix her chest”
“Don’t see you much when I’m broke, so we won’t meet again, bro”
The video, directed by Diego Coppi, perfectly complements the track’s gritty and introspective vibe. Shot between basements, luxury apartments, and private interiors, the visuals portray the duality of the artist’s world. It’s not the first time Coppi has teamed up with Kanoé: he previously directed the video for Photo, a collaboration with Sétois rapper Lyms.
