Poison Mobutu, born Elonga Besa Arnaud, is a Congolese artist born in Kinshasa who arrived in France at the age of 10. Although he grew up in Mantes-la-Jolie, he holds a deep nostalgia for his childhood in Congo, marked by the authenticity of Black peoples, as expressed by the former president of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko, whom he admires. This is why he adopted the nickname Mobutu, which he combined with Poison, giving rise to his well-known artist name today: Poison Mobutu.
After being discovered by Ricks Sweet and Philo, with whom he worked for many years, Poison Mobutu initially joined the “bana Kin” group, alongside Kozi, Youssoupha, Sinistre, Philo, and Mike Génie. Later on, he embarked on a solo career and collaborated with numerous heavyweights of French rap, including La Fouine, Passi, Jacky, Despo Ruti, Seth Guéko, Monsieur R, and many others. In addition to his national collaborations, Poison Mobutu has also worked with international artists such as Twin Gambino from Infamous Mobb in the USA and Espoir 2000 from Côte d’Ivoire, to name a few.
To this day, Poison Mobutu has chosen to support Congolese music, particularly the talented youth from both Congos, Brazzaville and Kinshasa. He regularly collaborates with young Congolese artists like Tidiane Mario, Teddy Benzo, MF, Viny Balthazar in Brazzaville, and Rebo Tchulo, Gaz Fabulous in Kinshasa. Poison Mobutu is now recognized as the artist who bridges the musical gap between France and the two Congos, contributing to the development of the Congolese music scene.
