Ken Samaras (Greek: Κεν Σαμαράς, Ken Samarás; born 3 April 1990), better known by his stage name Nekfeu (French pronunciation: [nɛk.fø]), is a French rapper, actor and record producer. He is also a member of the crew L'entourage and the bands $-Crew and 1995. He started his career as a member of $-Crew, with childhood friends Framal, Mekra, 2zer Washington and DJ Elite. He joined 1995 in 2007, participating in open mic duels around Paris.[1]

Nekfeu
Nekfeu in 2017
Nekfeu in 2017
Background information
Birth nameKen Samaras
Also known as
  • Nekfeu
  • Nek le feunek
Born (1990-04-03) 3 April 1990 (age 34)
La Trinité, France
GenresFrench hip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • record producer
  • songwriter
  • actor
InstrumentVocals
Years active2007–present
Labels
Websitewww.nekfeu.fr

Early life and career

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Samaras was born in La Trinité, a commune within the Nice metropolitan area, to a father of Greek descent and a mother of Scottish descent.[2] At the age of 11, he and his family moved to the 15th arrondissement of Paris.[3]

After two extended plays with 1995 (La Source in 2011 and La Suite in 2012), as well as the studio album Paris Sud Minute in 2013, Nekfeu released his debut studio album Feu on 8 June 2015, for which he won Best Urban Music Album at the Victoires de la musique in February 2016, as well as Destins Liés with $-Crew in June 2016. In 2015, he also wrote and performed a song for the French version of the film Creed.[4] In 2016, he released his second album entitled Cyborg.

In 2017, he made his acting debut in the film Tout nous sépare, opposite Catherine Deneuve.[5]

In 2019, he released his third album “les étoiles vagabondes”. The album premiered in cinemas, as a movie accompanied the album. The movie premiered 2h before the album was made available on streaming platforms. The album was extremely well received. It Included a song featuring mainstream Belgian rapper Damso (Tricheur), and many other songs entered the top 20 in the French charts.

Personal life

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Nekfeu is a fan of Paris Saint-Germain, based in the city where he grew up, and his hometown club OGC Nice.[2]

Discography

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Albums, mixtapes and EPs

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As part of 1995

  • 2011: La Source (EP)
  • 2012: La Suite (EP)
  • 2013: Paris Sud Minute (Album)

With Alpha Wann (member of 1995 & L'Entourage)

  • 2011: En Sous-Marin (EP)

As part of $-Crew

  • 2010: Même Signature (Mixtape)
  • 2012: Métamorphose (Mixtape)
  • 2013: Seine Zoo 仙豆 (Album)
  • 2016: Destins Liés (Album)
  • 2022: SZR2001 (Album)

As part of L'Entourage

  • 2014: Jeunes Entrepreneurs (Album)

As part of 5 Majeur

  • 2011: 5 Majeur (EP)
  • 2013: Variations (Album)

Solo

Year Album Peak positions Units Certification
FRA
[6]
BEL
(Fl)

[7]
BEL
(Wa)

[8]
SWI
[9]
2015 Feu
  • Release date: 8 June 2015
  • Record label: Seine Zoo / Polydor
3 65 3 5
2016 Cyborg
  • Release date: 2 December 2016
  • Record label: Seine Zoo
4 3 10
2019 Les étoiles vagabondes
  • Release date: 7 June 2019
  • Record label: Seine Zoo
1
[12][13]
12 1 1
  • SNEP: 2× Diamond[10]
Expansion
  • Release date: 21 June 2019
  • Record label: Seine Zoo
10
 
Nekfeu in 2014, performing at a festival in Grenoble

Singles

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Year Single Peak positions Album
FRA
[6]
BEL
(Wa)

[8]
SWI
[9]
2014 "Time B.O.M.B." 86
2015 "Égérie" 49 Feu
"On verra" 14 37
"Nique les clones, Pt. II" 57
"Tempête" 21
"7:77 AM"
(featuring 86 Joon)
26 Feu (Réédition)
2016 "Jusqu'au bout"
($-Crew)
75 Destins liés
2019 "Tricheur"
(featuring Damso)
1
[15]
1 12 Les étoiles vagabondes
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Year Single Peak positions Album
FRA
[6]
BEL
(Wa)

[8]
SWI
[9]
2014 "Voilà"
(Sneazzy featuring Nekfeu)
145
2016 "Paris la nuit"
(Rim'k featuring Nekfeu)
161
"À deux pas "
(Alpha Wann featuring Nekfeu)
172 Alpha Wann album
Alph Lauren 2
"Les princes"
(MZ featuring Nekfeu)
18 MZ album
La dictature
2017 "Skurt Cobain"
(Sneazzy featuring Nekfeu)
165
"Tu rêves"
(Dean Burbigo featuring Nekfeu)
95
"De l'autre côté"
(Ninho featuring Nekfeu)
2 71 Ninho album
Comme prévu
"Zone"
(Orelsan featuring Nekfeu with Dizzee Rascal)
12 Orelsan album
La fête est finie
2018 "Juste pour voir"
(S.Pri Noir featuring Nekfeu)
70 Non-album release
"Éternité "
(Jazzy Bazz featuring Nekfeu)
46 Jazzy bazz album
Nuit
"Waow"
(PLK featuring Nekfeu)
32 PLK album
Polak
2019 "Paire d'As"
(Dadju featuring Nekfeu)
10 Dadju album
Poison
"Ce soir"
(Doums feat. Nekfeu & Naë)
27 Non-album release
2020 "Zéro détail"
(Sneazzy feat. Nekfeu)
42 Sneazzy album
Nouvo mode
"Étincelles"
(Sneazzy feat. Alpha Wann, Nekfeu & S.Pri Noir)
48
"Turn Up"
(Kalash Criminel feat. Nekfeu)
22 Kalash Criminel album
Sélection naturelle
"Moins un"
(Dinos feat. Nekfeu)
1 27 49 Dinos album
Stamina,
"Ce soir"
(Doums feat. Nekfeu & Naë)
27 Non-album release
"san andreas"
(Nekfeu, Lesram)
35 Alpha Wann album
don dada: mixtape, vol 1.
"aaa"
(Alpha Wann feat. Nekfeu)
18
"malevil"
(Nekfeu)
34
"3095 pt2"
(Alpha Wann feat. Nekfeu, 3010)
69
2021 "C'est quoi l'del"
(Gims feat. Nekfeu)
Gims album
Le Fléau
"Agent orage"
(Dean Burbigo feat. Nekfeu)
103
"Special"
(Laylow feat. Nekfeu & Foushée)
7 45 91 Laylow album
L'étrange histoire de Mr. Anderson
"Jeune d'en bas"
(Da Uzi feat. Nekfeu)
21 Da Uzi album
Vrai 2 vrai

Other charted songs

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Year Single Peak positions Album
FRA
[6][16]
BEL
(Wa)

[8]
SWI
[9]
2015 "Reuf"
(featuring Ed Sheeran)
72 Feu
"Rêve d'avoir des rêves" 111
"Ma dope"
(featuring S.Pri Noir)
125
"Martin Eden" 129
"Mon âme"
(featuring Sneazzy)
152
"Princesse"
(featuring Nemir)
172
"Plume" 13 Feu (Réédition)
"Mal aimé" 51
"Question d'honneur"
(featuring S-Crew)
78
"Deux-trois"
(featuring 1995)
56
"Pars avec moi"
(featuring 1995)
46
"Les Bruits de ma Ville"
(featuring Phénomène Bizness)
44
"La Ballade du Frémont"
(featuring Doums)
52
2016 "Mauvaise graine" 7 18 72 Cyborg
"Squa" 15 67
"Humanoïde" 19 69
"Galatée" 21
"Saturne"
(featuring Sneazzy and S.Pri Noir)
25 76
"Avant tu riais"
(featuring Clara Luciani)
56
"Réalité augmentée" 67
"Esquimaux"
(featuring Népal)
71
"Nekketsu"
(featuring Crystal Kay)
75
"Besoin de sens"
(featuring Framal and Jazzy Bazz)
106
"Le regard des gens"
(featuring Némir, 2zer, Mekra and Doum's)
113
"Vinyle"
(featuring Alpha Wann)
142
"O.D"
(featuring Murkage Dave)
152
"Programmé" 197
2019 "Dans l'univers"
(featuring Vanessa Paradis)
2 50 29 Les étoiles vagabondes
"Elle pleut"
(featuring Nemir)
3 32
"Cheum" 4
"Les étoiles vagabondes" 5
"Alunissons" 7
"Voyage léger" 8
"Takotsubo" 9
"Menteur menteur" 11
"Le bruit qui court" 13
"Premier pas" 14
"Ciel noir" 15
"De mon mieux" 16
"Compte les hommes"
(featuring Alpha Wann)
17
"Óλά Καλά" 18
"Koala mouille" 19
"Pixels"
(featuring Crystal Kay)
21
"1er rôle" 23
"Ken Kaneki" 18 Expansion
"Écrire" 21
"Sous les nuages" 23
"CDGLAXJFKHNDATH"
(featuring 2Zer and Mekra)
33
"Energie sombre" 38
"Natsukashii" 47
"L'air du temps"

(featuring Framal and Doums)

51
"Oui et non" 56
"Rouge à lèvres"
(featuring BJ the Chicago Kid)
58
"Chanson d'amour" 59
"De mes cendres" 64
"Jeux vidéo et débats" 66
"Dernier soupir" 74
"Nouvel homme" 76
"Interlude Fifty" 80
"A la base" 83

Filmography

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Film

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  • 2017 : Tout nous sépare, directed by Thierry Klifa
  • 2019 : L'Échappée, directed by Mathias Pardo

Television

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  • 2015 : Casting(s) (Television series, one episode : guest appearance as himself)
  • 2019 : My Hero Academia (Dubbing the character All for One in the French version)

References

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  1. ^ Booska-p. "Biographie de Nekfeu".
  2. ^ a b Kristanadjaja, Gurvan (24 June 2015). "Nekfeu, allumez le feu". Libération.
  3. ^ Delamarre, Geoffrey (July–August 2015). "Les flammes du bien / Nekfeu le 5e élément du rap français". RAPRNB.
  4. ^ "Creed : Nekfeu serre les poings avec Stallone et signe le générique du nouveau Rocky". Charts in France (in French). 13 January 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  5. ^ Nekfeu et Catherine Deneuve réunis au cinéma, le premier teaser dévoilé, Le Parisien, 13 August 2017
  6. ^ a b c d "Nekfeu discography". lescharts.com. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Nekfeu discography". ultratop.be/nl. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d "Nekfeu discography". ultratop.be/fr. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d "Nekfeu discography". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  10. ^ a b c "French certifications – Nekfeu" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Nekfeu est disque d'or en Belgique !". Melty.fr (in French). 31 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 24, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  13. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 27, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 9 July 2019.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ min, Charts·3 février 2020 | 10 h 19 (3 February 2020). "Top Albums : une seconde semaine au sommet pour Maes". aficia (in French). Retrieved 3 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles (téléchargement + streaming) – SNEP (Week 24, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles (téléchargement + streaming) – SNEP (Week 26, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
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