Keny Arkana

• Name — Keny Arkana • Birthplace — Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris Region, France • Born — 20 December 1982 • Origin — Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France • Genre — * French hip hop • political hip hop • Years Active — 1996–present • Website — www.keny-arkana.com

• Illustration — Keny Arkana in Rennes Arkana was born on 20 December 1982 to an Argentine family in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, and raised in Marseille. Arkana began writing songs at the age of 12, and began rapping publicly about two years later. She later founded a hip hop music group called Mars Patrie, followed by another called Etat-Major. Her status in the French hip hop circles of Marseille rose, and in 2003 Etat-Major released their debut mixtape. Arkana released her first solo EP, Le missile est lancé ("The rocket is launched") in 2004. She released her first album, Entre ciment et belle étoile ("Between concrete and stars"), in October 2006. Her first single, La rage (2006), comments on the 2005 civil unrest in France. Keny Arkana also launched a series of local fora through the association Appel aux sans voix ("Call to the voiceless"). Her later studio albums include L'Esquisse 2 (May 2011) and Tout tourne autour du soleil (December 2012).

Solo • Year — Album — Peak positions — Certifications • BEL Wa — FRA — SWI • 2005 — L'Esquisse — — — 102 — — • 2006 — Entre ciment et belle étoile — 88 — 18 — 95 — * SNEP: Platinum • 2008 — Désobéissance — — — 14 — 50 — * SNEP: Gold • 2011 — L'Esquisse Vol. 2 — 32 — 11 — 69 • 2012 — Tout tourne autour du soleil — 72 — 20 — 61 — * SNEP: Gold • 2016 — État d'urgence — — — 99 — — • 2017 — L'esquisse 3 — 47 — 10 — 42 • 2021 — Avant l'exode — — — — — —

As Etat-Major • 2003: Volume 1 (EP) Solo • 2004: Le missile est lancé (EP) • 2006: La rage (EP) • 2016: Etat d'urgence (EP)