French rapper Werenoi dies hours before concert, aged 31

French rapper Werenoi has died at age 31, just hours before a concert that was scheduled to take place in Lyon, France.

Per Charts in France, Werenoi – real name Jérémy Bana Owona – died after being hospitalised, due to going under cardio-respiratory arrest on Saturday morning (May 17) today. Owona had a concert scheduled tonight at Lyon’s Azar Club.

Babs, a friend and collaborator of Owona, tweeted earlier today in French: “Rest in peace my brother I love you!!!”. Azar Club also shared a message announcing his death to ticketholders in an Instagram post.

“It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Werenoi, a unique artist and a defining voice of his generation, whom we were to welcome this evening to the Azar Club,” wrote the club in French. “We remember the talent, strength, and authenticity of an artist who left his mark on his era.”

Repose en paix mon frère je t aime !!!

— Babs -Plr Music (@PlrMusic) May 17, 2025

Owona has released four albums as Werenoi, with the latest ‘Diamant Noir’ issued just last month (April 11). The rapper counts over six million monthly listeners on Spotify, with ‘Diamant Noir’ marking his first – and sadly, only – album to debut at number one on the French charts, per Charts in France.

Owona was also due to perform at Les Flammes 2025 earlier this week, an awards ceremony focused on French rap and hip-hop.

However, he sent a video message shared by Les Flammes on social media – Owona apologised for his absence, attributing it to an injury, showing the camera his right arm in a medical sling. It is unconfirmed if this injury is linked to his sudden death earlier today.

French pop singer Pascal Obispo paid tribute to Owona in an interview with La Parisien. In 2023, Obispo collaborated with Owana on a performance of the latter’s hit single ‘Camin d’Or’ at Zénith Paris.

The two first met through Obispo’s son Sean: “My son is very sad and I’m in pain,” Obispo told La Parisien. “31 years old. He was a good guy, very talented, who had so many things to do. Peace to his soul and condolences to his family and friends.”

Obispo, who called Owona a “real good guy” and “a little shy”, also revealed that, since 2023, the duo had entertained the possibility of future collaborations.

“We had to continue the adventure and do other things together,” Obispo said. “We had to see each other, I had prepared for him full of sounds with a beatmaker. It will stay in a computer…”

Not much is known about Owona’s origins, other than that he was born in the French commune of Melun on January 30, 1994.