The China Mail - Top-selling French rapper laid to rest after death aged 31

Werenoi, his real name Jeremy Bana Owona and born in a Paris suburb to Cameroonian parents, was the top selling artist over the last two years in France in terms of album sales.

He was buried in the suburb of Montreuil in the Seine-Saint-Denis district northeast of Paris, with fans hailing him as an artist they could relate to who spoke of the realities of daily life.

Standing in front of the green gates of the municipal cemetery, Nicolas, 25, said he thought it was "great that he's buried here, in his neighbourhood".

"It really touched me that an artist born here, originating from Cameroon like me, won so much hype. I loved how he layered his words with instrumental music."

Guards allowed no telephones or cameras at the funeral, with 800 people showing up after prayers in a packed mosque.

Following a meteoric rise, the artist died suddenly at the age of 31 in a Paris hospital, with no cause of death specified.

His death was announced Saturday by his producer in an X post.

His eyes hidden by sunglasses, Werenoi was discreet about his private life, and his massive popularity among French youths contrasted with his absence from traditional media.

"People identified with him because he was credible, it wasn't a false image," said Moussa, 33. "He grew up on the streets here."

A few hours after the announcement of his death, all his music videos were removed from YouTube. Only the audio tracks remain online, including his last duet ("Piano") with the rapper Gims.

However, his discography remains available on the streaming platforms Spotify and Deezer.

T.Luo--ThChM