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French rapper and screenwriter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kamini Zantoko is a Black French musician and screenwriter, born in Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache.[1][2]
Kamini | |
---|---|
Born | Kamini Zantoko |
Nationality | French |
Occupation(s) | Musician, screenwriter |
Musical career | |
Origin | Marly-Gomont, France |
Genres | Hip hop |
Years active | 2006– |
Labels | RCA |
Kamini's father—Seyolo Zantoko—and his family moved from Zaire[3] to Marly-Gomont, France in 1975. They had difficulty assimilating[4] as the first Black people in town. Kamini grew up there, and by the summer of 2006, was working part-time as a nurse.[5] Seyolo died sometime prior to 2012.[4]
Aspiring to make hip hop music, in 2006 he wrote about Marly-Gomont ("Marly-Gomont").[5] In his music video, made in late June[6] on a budget of €100 (equivalent to €125 in 2022), he raps about farming and games with his friends and fellow villagers. On 30 August, Kamini uploaded the video and cold-emailed promotions to record companies; instead, a t-shirt retailer shared the link online, and by the end of the day, "Marly-Gomont" was a hit. Off the merits of his amateur viral video,[5] Kamini signed with RCA Records on 2 November[6] to publish "Marly-Gomont" and two more albums.[5]
In 2012, Kamini wrote and narrated the autobiographical film The African Doctor (French: Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont, lit. 'Welcome to Marly-Gomont') to pay tribute to his father. It was released in 2016, directed by Julien Rambaldi.[4]
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