Gnakouri Okou, known as Kaaris, was born on January 30th 1980 in Ivory Coast. He grew up in Seine-Saint-Denis in France. He made his debut in rap at the age of 19 under the pseudonym Fresh, alongside the Niroshima collective. He returned to Ivory Coast in 2003, but the civil war forced him to return to France. Inspired by his stay in his homeland, he released the album 43e BIMa in 2007. With this album, he made a name for himself in the rap world.