Werenoi, one of France’s most prominent and influential rappers, has died at the age of 31, his record label confirmed on Saturday.
“It is with immense sadness that we learned of Werenoi’s passing … may he rest in peace,” his label Believe wrote in a statement posted on Instagram.
Born Jeremy Bana Owana, the artist passed away early Saturday morning at La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. While an official cause of death has not been disclosed, French media have reported that he may have suffered a heart attack.
Of Cameroonian descent, Owana grew up in the eastern suburbs of Paris and quickly rose to stardom after his 2021 breakout single Guadalajara. His musical career skyrocketed with a series of successful albums. Three of his four studio releases—Carré, Pyramide, Pyramide 2 (released in 2024), and Diamant Noir, which dropped just last month—reached No. 1 on the French charts. According to the French music industry body SNEP, Owana had the best-selling album in France for both 2023 and 2024.
Beyond his domestic success, Werenoi was also known for high-profile collaborations. He worked with top Francophone artists like Aya Nakamura, Damso, and Hamza, and expanded his reach internationally by featuring American rappers Gunna and Lil Tjay on Diamant Noir.
He had been scheduled to perform in Lyon on the night of his death. Earlier in the week, Werenoi won Album of the Year for Pyramide 2 at Les Flammes, an award show celebrating rap and music of Black origin in France. He was unable to attend the ceremony and appeared via video with his arm in a sling, describing it as “a big injury.”
Tributes poured in across the music world. Aya Nakamura and Lil Tjay were among those mourning his loss, along with fellow French artist Gims and others from the rap community.
