Maitre Gims Siblings: A Closer Look at the Singer’s Family Tree
Maitre Gims PHOTO/Morocco World News
Maître Gims, now known professionally as Gims, is a Congolese-French singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer.
Born Gandhi Alimasi Djuna on May 6, 1986, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, he moved to France with his family at the age of two.
Growing up in various arrondissements of Paris, he faced a challenging childhood marked by his parents’ undocumented status, family separation after eviction, and periods living in foster care or squats.
Despite these hardships, music became a central part of his life from an early age, influenced by his father’s background in Congolese music.
He rose to prominence as a key member of the influential French hip-hop group Sexion d’Assaut before launching a highly successful solo career.
Today, he divides his time between France and Morocco and is recognized for blending rap, pop, R&B, and elements of his Congolese roots, collaborating with global artists and achieving massive commercial success across Europe and beyond.
Siblings
Maître Gims’ father, Djanana Djuna, also known as Djuna Djanana, was a vocalist in Papa Wemba’s renowned band Viva La Musica, exposing the family to rhythm and performance from a young age.
Gims has several siblings, many of whom have pursued careers in rap and music.
His half-brother Dadju is a well-known singer and former member of the group The Shin Sekaï, known for his smoother, romantic R&B-influenced style that has also achieved significant chart success.
Other brothers include Bedjik, Afi and Djelass, all of whom are rappers.
Bedjik and Xgangs, for instance, have collaborated with Gims on tracks and pursued their own projects within the French rap scene.
Career
Maître Gims began his career in the early 2000s as part of the hip-hop collective that would become Sexion d’Assaut.
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Initially forming smaller groups like Prototype 3015 and later merging with others, he contributed as a rapper, songwriter, and even graphic designer for album covers while studying communication and graphic arts.
The group gained underground notoriety through freestyles, mixtapes, and street albums before exploding with major releases like L’École des points vitaux in 2010 and L’Apogée in 2012, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies and solidified their status in French rap.
Gims stood out for his versatile flow, melodic hooks, and stage presence.
In 2013, he launched his solo career under the name Maître Gims with the album Subliminal, which debuted strongly on the French charts, achieved double diamond certification for over a million sales, and featured hits like “J’me tire,” “Bella,” and “Zombie.”
This marked his transition toward a more pop-oriented sound while retaining rap elements.
Follow-up albums such as Mon cœur avait raison (2015) and Ceinture noire (2018, with a reissue titled Transcendance in 2019) further elevated his profile, incorporating collaborations with international stars including Sia, Pitbull, Lil Wayne, Stromae, Maluma, J Balvin, Vitaa, and even Sting.
His music often fuses hip-hop with Afro-pop, dancehall, and Latin influences, appealing to a broad audience.
Over the years, Gims has toured extensively, performed at major venues like the Stade de France (notably as the first Black rapper and first rapper to headline it in some contexts), and continued releasing music while evolving his artistic identity.
He has also ventured into production and other creative projects.
Accolades
Maître Gims’ solo albums have consistently topped charts in France and Belgium, with multiple certifications reaching diamond status.
He has received recognition at major French award ceremonies, including NRJ Music Awards, where Sexion d’Assaut won honors like Francophone Group/Duo of the Year and Song of the Year.
Individual tracks and albums have garnered “Best Original Song” wins at French Music Awards, and his overall body of work has led to him being named among the most performed and streamed artists globally on platforms like Deezer.
Gims has sold over five million records, including three million albums, underscoring his enduring popularity.