RK (rapper)

RK
RK in 2023
RK in 2023
Background information
Born
Ryad Kartoum

(2001-11-07) 7 November 2001 (age 24)
Meaux, France
GenreFrench hip-hop
InstrumentVocals
Years active2018–present
Partner
Aya Nakamura

Ryad Kartoum (born 7 November 2001), known as RK, is a French rapper. His debut album Insolent (2018) went to number one on the French Albums Chart and was certified platinum by SNEP. He has released seven albums that made the top 10 of the French Albums Chart, three of which certified gold and two platinum. He has released four singles certified diamond, and six certified platinum. His highest position on the French Singles Chart is 3, for "C'est mon sang" featuring Sofiane (2019) and "Viano" featuring Genezio [fr] (2025).

Early life

Ryad Kartoum was born on 7 November 2001 in Meaux in the department of Seine-et-Marne, and raised in the Beauval neighbourhood of the same city. He is of Algerian descent. He initially rapped as a hobby while wanting to be a professional footballer, but suffered an injury and started smoking, then gave up the sport.

Musical career

At age 16, RK was signed to a four-album contract by 357 Music, founded by a childhood friend who became his manager and producer. On 21 September 2018, he released his debut album Insolent, which went to number one on the French Albums Chart, with first-week figures of 21,000 album-equivalent units. A month later, it received a gold disc from SNEP for 50,000 units. On 8 February 2019, it received a platinum disc for 100,000 units. In May 2025, the song "Bae" from the album was certified diamond.

RK's second album Rêves de gosse [fr], released 5 April 2019, went to number 3 in France, and was certified gold in June and platinum in 2021. In October 2019, a month before turning 18, he had sales of 200,000 albums. The single "C'est mon sang", with Sofiane, was certified diamond in 2025.

In July 2020, RK's third album Neverland [fr] was released, with features from Maes, SCH and Leto. The album entered at a peak of number 2, and was certified gold seven months later. His fourth album, 100 rancunes, was announced shortly before his arrest for domestic violence in June 2021; it entered at a peak of number 3 and fell out of the top 200 in seven weeks.

The album Mentalité [fr] was released in two parts and entered the chart at a peak of 7 in October 2022, before being certified gold in June 2023; a year later, DLPDA reached number 3. RK's mixtape Topboy : Tome 1 was released at a peak of number 8 in October 2025, and certified gold in July. Its singles "Viano" (featuring Genezio [fr]) and "Sale état" (featuring Ninho) charted at 3 and 5 respectively, and were certified diamond and platinum respectively.

Personal life

RK is a fan of Paris Saint-Germain and the national football teams of France and Algeria. In August 2026, he became engaged to French–Malian singer Aya Nakamura.

On 8 November 2021, RK was convicted of domestic violence and given a six-month suspended sentence. In January 2026, he appeared on Canal+ programme Clique [fr] and expressed remorse.

In December 2025, RK was named in a legal complaint by his former manager and producer, who alleged that disputes over a contract had led to threatening telephone calls and Kalashnikov rifle shots at his parents' house.

References

  1. ↑ Valais, Lucie (8 June 2021). "RK soupçonné de violences conjugales et arrêté par la police : ce que l'on sait" [RK suspected of domestic violence and arrested by the police: what we know]. L'Internaute (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  2. ↑ Bourven, Laura (7 December 2020). "RK : du quartier de Beauval à Meaux au documentaire introspectif sur France TV Slash" [RK: from the Beauval neighbourhood to Meaux in the introspective documentary on France TV Slash]. Actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 Jaquin, Alexandre (18 June 2024). "Double Contact - RK: "Mbappé ne pourra pas faire ses caprices au Real Madrid"" [Double Contact - RK: "Mbappé won't be able to throw his tantrums at Real Madrid"]. RMC Sport (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  4. ↑ Weickert, Clio. "RK: «J'ai commencé à fumer, je me suis blessé, j'ai lâché les terrains de foot… J'ai fini artiste»" [RK: "I started smoking, I got injured, I left the football pitches… I ended up as an artist"]. 20 minutes (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 Tésorière, Ronan (12 December 2025). "2,6 millions d'euros, intimidation à coups d'AK-47 et conflit d'avocats : le rappeur RK visé par une plainte pour « extorsion en bande organisé »" [2.6 million euros, intimidation by AK-47 shots and battle of lawyers: rapper RK targeted in complaint for "extortion by an organised gang"]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "RK obtient officiellement son premier disque d'or" [RK officially obtains his first gold disc]. Générations (in French). 26 October 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Insolent - RK" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "RK - Bae" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "RK - Rêves de gosse (album)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "Rêves de gosse - RK" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "RK a vendu plus de 200 000 albums… à seulement 17 ans" [RK has sold more than 200,000 albums… at just 17]. Radio France (in French). 22 October 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "RK - C'est mon sang" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Santoro, Éléanore (18 June 2020). "RK balance la tracklist de "Neverland" avec de gros invités" [RK balances "Neverland" tracklist with big features]. Radio France (in French). Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "RK - Neverland (album)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Neverland - RK" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "RK arrêté pour violences conjugales" [RK arrested for domestic violence]. Radio France (in French). 7 June 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "RK - 100 rancunes (album)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "RK - Mentalité (pt. 1) (album)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mentalité - RK". SNEP. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "RK - DLPDA (album)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "RK - Topboy: Tome 1 (album)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "Topboy : Tome 1 - RK" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "RK & Genezio - Viano (song)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "RK & Ninho - Sale état (song)". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "Viano - RK, Genezio" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "Sale état - RK, Ninho" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  27. ↑ Abadie, Clémentine (10 August 2026). "Aya Nakamura fiancée : qui est RK, le rappeur qui partage sa vie ?" [Aya Nakamura engaged: who is RK, the rapper who shares her life?]. NRJ (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  28. ↑ "Le rappeur RK condamné pour violences conjugales en Seine-et-Marne" [Rapper RK convicted of domestic violence in Seine-et-Marne]. Ouest-France (in French). 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  29. ↑ ""J'ai été con" : ce rappeur condamné pour violences conjugales fait son "mea culpa" mais cette séquence scandalise les internautes" ["I was an idiot": rapper convicted of domestic violence does his "mea culpa" but this footage enrages Internet users]. Terra Femina (in French). 14 January 2026. Retrieved 9 September 2026.