Baloji

Baloji is a Belgian musician, rapper, MC, poet and film director. He is born in 1978 in Lubumbashi, and is raised in Belgium. His work spans hip hop, afrobeat and funk, with a strong link to Congolese and Belgian cultural contexts.

Early life and Starflam

As a teenager, performing under the name MC Balo, he starts the rap collective Starflam in 1996 with friends from Linguistic Malfrats, a name formed as a reverse anagram of “Malfrats”. The group releases its self-titled debut album in 1997. Its second album, Survivant, appears in 2001 on Capitol/EMI, goes platinum and is later reissued in an expanded edition with remixes and music videos. The album includes “La Sonora” and “Amnésie Internationale”, which gain wide recognition in both the Dutch-speaking north and French-speaking south of Belgium. Starflam then releases Donne moi de l'amour in 2003. After disagreements with the other members, Baloji leaves music in 2004.

Solo career

He returns to music in 2006 after receiving a letter from his mother, whom he has not seen since 1981, and after winning a poetry competition in Paris. His first solo album, Hotel Impala, appears in 2008 as an autobiographical record shaped by that letter and his own life story. It is certified gold and receives two Octaves de la musique awards, as well as the Rapsat-Lelièvre Award and Brassens Awards for Lyricists. In 2010 he releases Kinshasa Succursale, followed by the EP 64 Bits & Malachite in 2015.

137 Avenue Kaniama and film work

In 2018 he releases 137 Avenue Kaniama, his third album and his first on Bella Union. He also directs his own videos and creates visuals for his projects. His first short fiction film, KANIAMA SHOW, is a satire on African propaganda television shows. He writes the screenplay for his first feature film.

Style and themes

Baloji’s music draws on synthetic afro beats and combines rockrumba with futurist funk. His writing and stage work often bring together the intimate and the political, and his live performances are associated with the Kaniama Show band.