As a symbolic passing of the baton, another disc was released at the same time, "How to replace it", by the veteran rock group dEUS, which put Belgium back on the musical map at the turn of 1990/2000.

But since the 2010s and the explosion of Stromae, modern rap/r'n'b/pop artists have been flying the flag of this country.

Hamza will thus be on the road to French festivals this summer (Printemps de Bourges, Solidays, Beauregard, etc.) before investing in major venues, such as Bercy in Paris (Accor Arena, November 22).

The leg of the 28-year-old from Brussels is drill, a dark current of rap from Chicago, in an engulfed atmosphere that the artist links to his consumption of substances - grass, codeine - confessed in his songs.

A universe that seduces one of his American peers, Offset (from the hip-hop group Migos).

"It's the best!" Exclaimed Offset after a Hamza title in a video from GQ magazine, which had submitted several French-language rap songs to him in 2019.

Logical, therefore, to find Offset on "Sadio", title of "Sincerely".

"Offset had come for Fashion Week in Paris, there was a way to make the connection, I was in the south of France for another project and I was able to go to + Paname + to meet him", says Hamza , contacted by video by AFP.

"Offset came, cool, relaxed, with his guys in the studio, we discussed music, he was impressed by the productions of my guy Ponko (his sound architect)", continues the Belgian.

Beyond autotuned singing - voice passed through a filter - widely used in rap, Hamza and Ponko distinguish themselves by intermingling different musical colors.

Guns and football

"Codeine 19" thus begins in an oriental mode -- Hamza's family has Moroccan roots -- before a flight of synthetic violins and commas.

"Nocif", sung with his compatriot Damso, samples Modjo's electro hit "Lady", while "Introduction" begins with notes on the piano.

Belgian rapper Hamza at the 24th edition of the NRJ Music Awards at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes November 18, 2022 © Valery HACHE / AFP/Archives

For texts, sleepless nights and loneliness often return.

“There is a darker, more melancholy part of the project that I did during the health crisis, a period when I was more alone, when I had time for more reflection,” Hamza confides.

An isolation already experienced as a child, when he suffered from a syndrome due to kidney dysfunction.

The rapper also masters the lexical repertoire of today's hip-hop.

Either the parachuting of Spanish terms into his French lyrics, such as "Calle" ("Street") or "Noche" ("Night").

Enough to unfold fantasized stories of trafficking inspired by drug traffickers on film.

For this fan of films like "Les Affranchis" or "Casino", mentions of firearms abound.

Not to mention the football references.

Sadio Mané, Senegalese international who made the heyday of Liverpool before playing at Bayern Munich, is mentioned on "Introduction" and gives his title name to the piece with Offset.

Hamza also invites on his album Tiakola ("Atasanté Part.2"), the French rapper who climbs and who was destined for football before making music.

"We talk football with + Tiako +, but we don't get along, he's more Real Madrid and I Barça, we carry on a lot", laughs Hamza.

© 2023 AFP