Despo Rutti

A confrontational French MC from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Despo Rutti -- born Pascal Trésor Azu'Simba -- began rapping in the mid-'90s and recorded his first material by the end of that decade. Beginning with the 2006 release Les Sirènes du Charbon, he issued several mixtapes, street albums, and proper studio albums, including Convictions Suicidaires and Discographie Parallèle (both 2010), as well as Les Funérailles des Tabous (2013). These releases built his reputation for embracing controversy with unflinchingly outspoken views on a wide range of societal issues, from economics to religion to abuse of authority. ~ Andy Kellman