Assassin: the grand return of a legendary French rap group

Founded in Paris in the mid-1980s, Assassin is a legendary French Hip-Hop group led by its charismatic frontman Rockin’Squat, a major figure in socially conscious French rap. From the beginning, the group stood out with uncompromising writing and a strong artistic independence.

Its uniqueness also comes from its economic model: Assassin was the first French rap group to achieve a gold record while remaining completely independent, producing and distributing its music through its own label, Assassin Productions. A pioneering approach that made the group a reference for an entire culture, both in France and abroad, earning them more than one million albums sold and several tracks that have become cult classics.

At the helm of the collective since its beginnings, Rockin’Squat, a former graffiti artist from the Parisian scene, crossed paths in the 1980s with other founding figures of French rap such as Kool Shen and JoeyStarr within the D.R.C posse, before founding Assassin. The group became known for its commitment against police violence, the death penalty and media excesses, themes that run throughout its entire discography.

After L’Odyssée suit son cours (1996), followed by Touche d’Espoir, released in 2000 and remaining its last studio album for more than twenty years, Assassin never completely disappeared: the group regularly returned to the stage from 2009 onward, notably through tours celebrating the golden era of French rap, while never abandoning its roots.

"AI (Artisan Intelligence)": the expected comeback

The long silence in terms of new releases is finally coming to an end. The group returns with a new album, IA (Intelligence Artisanale), scheduled for October 16, 2026, led by a first single already available. The track Légende Urbaine, released on June 16, 2026, marks a return to the group’s foundations, combining vision, commitment and sonic innovation.

This album mainly represents a symbolic reunion: Légende Urbaine brings together two historic architects of the Assassin group, Rockin’Squat and Doctor L, who co-wrote and composed some of the group’s most influential tracks together in the 1990s.

This new chapter is part of a gradual return to the spotlight: as early as May 2025, the group released a single, Kique Ta Merde 2.5, reminding everyone that French rap’s most iconic crew still had more to say.

A marathon tour until 2027

The album's return is accompanied by a particularly extensive tour, starting in spring 2026 on festival stages before continuing throughout 2027 in venues across France and Switzerland. Here are the dates confirmed to date:

July 2026

• 23.07 – Vienna (38) – The Authentiks

August 2026

• 02.08 – Luxey (40) – Musicalarue

October 2026

• 24.10 – Lorient (56) – Les Insolents

February 2027

• 05.02 – Vauréal (95) – The Forum
• 06.02 – Le Mans (72) – L'Oasis (Superforma)
• 11.02 – Annemasse (74) – Château Rouge
• 12.02 – Lons-le-Saunier (39) – Le Bœuf sur le Toit
• 13.02 – Scey-sur-Saône-et-Saint-Albin (70) – Echo System
• 18.02 – Hérouville-Saint-Clair (14) – The Big Band Café
• 19.02 – Le Havre (76) – The Tetris
• 20.02 – Rennes (35) – The Floor
• 25.02 – Orléans (45) – L'Astrolabe
• 26.02 – Nevers (58) – Café Charbon
• 27.02 – Auxerre (89) – Le Silex

March 2027

• 04.03 – Neuchâtel (CH) – La Case à Chocs
• 05.03 – Strasbourg (67) – The Dairy
• 06.03 – Metz (57) – The BAM
• 11.03 – Oignies (62) – The 9-9bis
• 13.03 – Paris (75) – La Cigale
• 18.03 – Angers (49) – Chabada
• 19.03 – Laval (53) – 6PAR4
• 20.03 – Nantes (44) – The Warehouse
• 25.03 – Évreux (27) – Le Kubb
• 26.03 – La Roche-sur-Yon (85) – Quai M
• 27.03 – Rouillac (16) – La Palène

April 2027

• 01.04 – Reims (51) – La Cartonnerie
• 02.04 – Clermont-Ferrand (63) – The May Cooperative
• 03.04 – Saint-Étienne (42) – Le Fil
• 08.04 – Perpignan (66) – El Mediator
• 09.04 – Montpellier (34) – Rockstore
• 10.04 – Aix-en-Provence (13) – 6MIC
• 15.04 – Mérignac (33) – Krakatoa
• 16.04 – Biarritz (64) – L’Atabal
• 17.04 – Toulouse (31) – Le Bikini
• 22.04 – Fontaine (38) – La Source
• April 24 – Saint-Quentin (02) – La Manufacture

The stop at La Cigale in Paris on March 13, 2027, is set to be one of the highlights of the tour in the capital, along with the Strasbourg show at La Laiterie, taking place the day after the Metz date.

A comeback that owes nothing to chance

Far from being a simple exercise in nostalgia, this return is built on the credibility that Assassin has developed over four decades: a consistent socially conscious message, an artistic independence claimed since the beginning, and a recognized influence on several generations of French rappers. With IA (Intelligence Artisanale), the group aims to prove that its message remains relevant in the digital era, with the album title itself playing on the contrast between artificial intelligence and traditional craftsmanship.

It remains to be seen how this comeback will be received by a younger audience, who may not have experienced the group's golden age in the 1990s and 2000s. The coming months, punctuated by festival and then concert dates, will provide the answer.

Tickets and additional information are available on the X-Ray Production label website.