Kamini

by Evan C. GutierrezFrench hip-hop artist Kamini Zantoko was born December 8, 1979, in the suburb of Nouvion-en-Thierache, a short distance from the village of Marly-Gomont. Born into a Congolese family and growing up in a region that was almost ubiquitously white would offer him a unique perspective that would serve him well in the long run. His breakthrough hit, "Marly-Gomont," humorously described his experiences as one of only a few black faces in small-town France. Utilizing the Web to popularize his music and videos rather than traditional music industry channels, Zantoko entered the spotlight in 2007 as an Internet-made celebrity. After earning his B.A. in Picardy, Zantoko took work as a psychiatric nurse. He spent much of his free time working with friends on music, producing "Marly-Gomont" in the fall of 2006. Though the track amused the record execs who heard it, all took a pass on the project. Releasing the song on Fun Radio, Skyrock, and Contact FM, Kamini earned almost instant fame, gaining far greater recognition in a month than the formerly uninterested labels could have offered him in a year. Kamini was named one of Time magazine's 15 personalities Born on the Web in 2006. Follow-up singles such as "J'Suis Blanc" (playing with racial role reversal) and "Un P'tit Coup de Motherf**k" (poking fun at other French rap artists who overly identify with American gang culture) paved the way for Kamini's first full-length record, Psychostar World, which was released in May of 2007. The record hit the Top Ten on national charts, earning a spot on Billboard's European Top 100. Though extremely successful, Zantoko remains committed to his career as a health care provider, ultimately intending to return to his position as a psychiatric nurse.