Rilès

Franco-Algerian musician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rilès Kacimi (/rɪˈlɛs/ ril-ESS; غيلاس قاسمي; born 4 January 1996) is a Franco-Algerian songwriter, composer, record producer and performance artist from Rouen, Normandy. His songs are mainly written and performed in English, with some in French, Spanish, Portuguese and even Japanese.

Born
Rilès Kacimi

(1996-01-04) January 4, 1996 (age 30)
Rouen, France
GenresHip-Hop, Rap, Soul, RnB
Occupationssinger, rapper
Years active2014-now
Quick facts Background information, Born ...
Rilès
A photo of the singer Rilès alone on a stage on a big rock with flames in the background.
Rilès at Art Sonic festival in 2025.
Background information
Born
Rilès Kacimi

(1996-01-04) January 4, 1996 (age 30)
Rouen, France
GenresHip-Hop, Rap, Soul, RnB
Occupationssinger, rapper
Years active2014-now
Websitewww.rilesundayz.com
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Biography

Beginnings

Born in France, Rilès started making music at a very early age by learning guitar and making YouTube covers. After obtaining a bachelor's degree, he decided to focus solely on music as a career. Rilès studied English literature at the University of Rouen while studying music on his own in his free time. He worked as a supervisor for a while to save up enough money and build his own home-studio in his bedroom. He then began to compose and write music independently. Rilès is also talented in arts. He sells his pieces of art as a way to make extra money for his music career. Rilès started his own music career by writing, producing, and mastering his own songs, as well as recording, directing and editing his music videos. This is reflected in his song lyrics where he references recording and producing his music independently.[1][2]

First albums

He released his first album, Vanity Plus Mind (2015) and released a variety of singles such as “Brothers” which became a staple and one of his biggest hits in 2016. That same year he released one song per week, every Sunday, for a year to compile into his second “album” (more a collection of songs than an album) called “RILÈSUNDAYZ” which is made up of 52 songs. This includes songs “I Do it”, “Pesetas” and “Should I”, as some of the most popular songs. He organised in a concert tour in France in 2017 during which he performed at the Bataclan in Paris,[1] twice, then at the Zenith of Rouen.[3]

In summer 2019,he released his first studio album Welcome to the Jungle.

Survival Mode and The 25th Hour

Rilès during his 24-hour "Survival Run" in 2025.

In January 2025, Rilès released his second studio album, Survival Mode, six years after his debut. The record comprises fourteen tracks, featuring collaborations with Tif and Gracy Hopkins, and reflects the challenges the artist faced over the preceding two years, as well as his internal struggles.

From 8 to 9 February 2025, Rilès performed a "Survival Run", a 24‑hour treadmill marathon conducted in front of a large circular saw inside a glass arena at Espace Commines, an event location in Paris. The event, open to the public, was streamed live on YouTube and TikTok. It was intended to parallel the themes of his new album and explore concepts of resilience and human limits. Rilès had previously run for twelve consecutive hours in September 2024 without the saw; during the 2025 run he covered more than 200 km, completing the first 61 km in 6 hours 2 minutes. He has cited running and personal relationships as factors that helped him overcome periods of severe personal difficulty, including suicide attempts.

On 24 October 2025, Rilès issued a follow‑up album titled The 25th Hour. He staged a performance on 24–25 October at Espace Commines, during which he applied a red imprint of his right hand to 20,000 physical copies of his album - reference to the tegata handprints left by Japanese sumo wrestlers. The performance lasted 25 hours, exceeding the planned 24‑hour duration. The event was broadcast live on YouTube and could also be viewed through plexiglass windows installed at the venue.

In 2026, Rilès embarked on his Survival Tour, a concert series covering eleven cities across France, as well as venues in Belgium and Switzerland, to promote The 25th Hour.

Discography

Rilès in concert in his home town of Rouen in 2017.

Studio albums

  • 2019: Welcome to the Jungle
  • 2025: Survival Mode
  • 2025: The 25th Hour

EPs

  • 2015: Vanity Plus Mind
  • 2020: LVL 36

Singles

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Peak positions Album
FR
[4]
2014 "S.AME" Vanity Plus Mind
"QUILOMBO"
"SUN TZU"
"Guerriero"
"Pintor"
"Blood & Bones
"Pussy From Wayne"
"HEADACHE"
2015 "WHO CARES"
"NOWADAYS"
"Another Complaint, But.." 185
2016 "Brothers" 31
"College Dropout"
"OHAMAMA"
"Should I" 147
"Earthquake"
"Drop It Like It's on Fire"
"For Mama"
"U Better Listen"
"Gotta Lotta"
"Thank God" Welcome to the Jungle
"I'll Try"
"No Lie"
"The Hearthbreak"
"E Knows"
"Rebeus in Oran"
"Empire"
"A Happy New Year"
"I Do It" 48
2017 "U Like"
"GTFO"
"In the Jungle" 121
"Those Nights"
"I Love It"
"Rilès"
"Enjoy The Ride"
"PKMN"
"Alive"
"REMEDY"
"Away" 171
"Blood On My Lips"
"It's Just the Beginning"
"Love The Way You Dance"
"EVIL"
"The Cleaning Lady"
"Eastside Georgia"
"MOST WANTED"
"Real Talk"
"Pesetas" 179
"Utopia" Welcome to the Jungle
"Snakes..!"
"After The Darkness"
"Understood"
"Dontreallyknow"
"ENERGY"
Ain't Even Started"
"MAILLE"
"Unexpected"
"Show Must Go On"
"NSFW"
"Una Vez Más"
"No Sleep"
"CHAMPION"
2018 "!I'll Be Back!" 103
"!LOST!"
2019 "My Soul"
"Remind Me"
"Sugarbabe"
"U RIGHT?"
"Admiration" Welcome to the Jungle
"No Tears"
"E a verdade"
"Queen"
"Ultimatum"
"Against The Clock"
"Marijuana"
"Myself N The Sea"
"Old Dayz"
"Rage 137"
"I Love You"
"Are You A Star?"
"Manslaughter"
"Run!"
"Yousatonmymind"
2020 "LET IT GO" LVL 36
"FEELINGS"
"KEEP IT SEXY"
"GOA"
2021 "SOUL SPEECH"
"HOLD IT DOWN"
"PICK IT UP"
"JUVENILE"
"DAYS ON THE WALL"
"STITCHES"
"WORST BEHAVIOUR"
"1000 REASONS"
"STILL THE SAME MAMACITA"
"2 BRAINZ"
"WASSUP"
"THE HEARTBREAK v2"
"BERIZ"
"FOR THE SHOW"
"STEEL INSIDE"
"ON MY PHONE"
"WHYYOUWALKIN?"
"BORN LIKE THIS"
"I WISH I HAD THE TIME"
"WAVEFORMS"
"LET'S GO"
"LA MANIA"
"BETTER DAYS"
"FREEMAN FREESTYLE"
"BIG PLANS"
"INDUSTRY GAMES"
"N.G.W"
"LONELY NIGHTS"
"INSTINCT"
"YA HABIBI YA"
"CRAZY"
"DAMNED?"
"BLESSINGS"
"BABY MAMA RAINY DAY"
"ANNIE WANTS MORE"
"MOONTALK"
"22 'TILL INFINITY"
"CHILLS"
"SOMEONE ELSE"
"CAN'T STOP"
"DOWN ON ME"
"LOST IN MY WORLD"
"4AM"
"RILESINTERNATIONAL"
"GOLDEN"
"TIME CHAMBER"
"LAA SAUUUCE"
"ON GOD"
"BURNING STAR"
2025 "SURVIVAL" SURVIVAL MODE
"BIG TROUBLE"
"IT IS NOT A MISTAKE IF IT GOES IN CIRCLE"
"NO REGRETS"
"MONEY TREES"
"BEAST!"
"PARADISE"
"INTERLUDE"
"DEAD OR ALIVE"
"OBVIOUS"[5]
"DON'T LIE"
"SAVE MY MIND"
"HOME"
"READY TO DIE"
2025 "Pressure" The 25th Hour
"I Thought"
"The Devil's in the City"
"Leaving the City"
"Justice & Peace"
"Sometimes"
"Business Is Business"
"Don't Cry My Love"
"Stay Clean"
"Pinky Promise"
"End of Survival"
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References

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