News
Franco Votes and French-speaking rap: Himra and Gims at the GRAMMYs
French-language music is making its way to the prestigious GRAMMY Awards.
Today, the Francophone Hip-Hop scene internationally has reasons to celebrate, and here is the context.
The international movement Franco Votes, co-founded by Steve Pageot (one of the Recording Academy/GRAMMY Governors), Dany Tétreault (founder of Hip-Hop Magazine) and Hughes Felizor, actively campaigns for the creation of a category Francophone Music to the GRAMMY Awards.
This desire for recognition takes on particular significance today through the careers of artists such as Himra and Gims, whose recent breakthroughs on the international scene demonstrate the vitality and potential of French-speaking Hip-Hop.
Himra, the prolific
The first, originally from Ivory Coast, has quickly established himself as a rising figure in African rap. His title Banger has been shortlisted for the 2025 GRAMMYs in the category Best African Music Performance, a first for a French-speaking Ivorian rapper.
In parallel, Himra distinguished himself at AFRIMA 2025 where he is the most nominated French-speaking artist, with five nominations in prestigious categories such as:
- Artist of the Year
- Revelation of the year
- Album of the Year
- Best African Artist
- Collaboration
With his mix of drill, rap and African influences, he succeeds in crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries to reach an increasingly wide international audience.
Gims, the master of art
For his part, Master Gims aka Gims continues his journey with the same ambition, but from an already firmly established position. After conquering Europe and Africa with millions of albums sold and world tours, he now aims for American consecration.
His album The North Remembers and his single Ninao were submitted in Grammy Consideration in the following categories:
- Best Global Music Album
- Best Global Music Performance
This approach proves that his work attracts the attention of the Recording Academy and illustrates the ability of French-language rap to compete at the highest level, even in a space largely dominated by the English language.
The relevance of FRANCO VOTES
The routes of Himra and of Gims strongly demonstrate the relevance of the movement Franco Votes. While their individual efforts have already aroused international interest, they also highlight a limitation: in the absence of a French-speaking category, these artists are forced to compete in global sections.
Creating a category Francophone Music would allow these talents to be recognized more fairly, while promoting the cultural diversity of the 320 million French speakers in the world, the majority of whom are in Africa, today the driving force behind Hip-Hop.
By highlighting Himra, which represents the new African generation, and Gims, already a global figure, French-speaking Hip-Hop proves that it is ready to establish itself on the most prestigious stage of the industry. The initiative Franco Votes seeks to transform these individual exploits into a lasting collective movement.
Because beyond the numbers, sales and nominations, it is an entire community that is today demanding its place: French-language rap no longer asks to be tolerated, it now demands to be recognized.
To provide your support, simply go to the official website of Franco Votes and to fill out the form.
Add Magazine-Hop in your playlist on Spotify.
