# Innoss'B

Innocent Didace Balume (born 5 May 1997), known professionally as Innoss'B, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, rapper, percussionist, dancer, and philanthropist. Often referred to as the "Jeune Leader", he is renowned for pioneering the AfroCongo music genre, an eclectic fusion of Congolese rumba, indigenous folklore, and ndombolo.
Innoss'B was born into a musical family in war-ravaged Goma, North Kivu. At the age of six, he began his music career as a member of the family group Maisha Soul. The group gained recognition after winning the 2007 Revelation Award at the Goma Tourism Fair. He later ventured out as a solo artist after winning the Akon-sponsored 2010 Vodacom Superstar contest, which led to his collaboration with Akon on the international song "Up and Away". On 17 July 2013, he released his debut studio album, Innocent Vol.1. In October 2015, Innoss'B made a name for himself in Kinshasa with his collaborations with Werrason on a hit single "Eloko" and later with Koffi Olomidé on "Elengi" in October 2016. On 29 June 2017, he released his five-track maxi-single, Plus. The lead track, "Ozo Beta Mabe", became an instant hit in Africa with over one million views on YouTube in just five months, making Innoss'B one of the most successful young Congolese and African artists.
The BBC tipped him as one of the African stars with the potential for global success in 2020, praising his unique style that has him "dancing to the beat of his drum" and bringing a "modern and youthful sound" to Congolese music. That year, Innoss'B became the first Congolese musician to reach more than 100 million views on YouTube for his "Yo Pe" remix, featuring Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz. On 26 December 2021, Innoss'B released his second studio album, Mortal 06. On 29 March 2024, Innoss'B released his five-track Extended Play (EP) Calcul.

## Early life and career
### 1997–2013: Early life and Maisha Soul

Innocent Didace Balume was born on 5 May 1997, in Goma, North Kivu, Zaire. His father was a dancer, and his mother was a cantor at church. He is the youngest of six children and has three brothers. Raised in Mikeno neighborhood, colloquially known as Birere, within Goma commune, Innocent spent considerable time at his paternal grandmother's residence, where he developed interest for Michael Jackson's music.
In 2002, Innocent, his brothers, and nearly 300,000 others were evacuated following the Nyiragongo volcanic eruption. To raise awareness, the brothers formed a band called Maisha Soul while living in a refugee camp. The family band included Prince Agakhan Balume, Eric Fonkodji Balume, Achille Djibril Balume, and Innocent Didace Balume. They received training at Yolé!Africa, a youth cultural center founded by filmmaker and activist Petna Ndaliko Katondolo. Maisha Soul collaborated with several artists, including Pascal Lokua Kanza. Maisha Soul's "Another Way," debuted in 2005, won the Revelation 2007 Award at the Goma Tourism Fair.
In 2009, Innocent participated in a provincial singing competition organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and secured third place among over 20 selected groups. The following year, at just 13 years old, he won the Vodacom Superstar contest, co-hosted by Vodacom in partnership with Akon, Akonic Entertainment, and Nickie Davis. He achieved the feat with a performance of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." His victory earned him $25,000, and allocated a portion of his prize money to his former school in Goma. The win also provided a platform to launch his music career, and he later collaborated with Akon on the song "Up and Away".
While still with Maisha Soul, he released his solo single, "I Can Be Your Blue Eyed Boy," through the band's label, Maisha Soul Records, in March 2012, which quickly became a smash hit and peaked atop the Africa Hit chart on Trace TV. He later participated in Lexxus Legal's self-titled album, Lexxus, on the track "Dors Pas Tard". In December 2012, he toured Washington with Maisha Soul and their manager, Lady Nadia, where they appeared on various TV programs and radio stations, including Bakolo States, owned by Gary Iwele, and Voice of America.
In January 2013, Maisha Soul kicked off a tour in Los Angeles, where they participated in the Cinema for Peace Humanitarian Awards, hosted by Congolese-Cypriot philanthropist and model Noëlla Coursaris Musunka and organized by the Cinema for Peace Foundation at the Beverly Hills Hotel. During their performances, Maisha Soul conveyed the plight of the ongoing Kivu conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After returning to Goma on 28 January, Maisha Soul officially announced the release of their Swahili Keep Smiling mixtape, recorded during their stay in the US. Keep Smiling was subsequently released on 29 January, and on 10 February, Innocent debuted another solo track, "Neti Na Uh", before setting out on another US tour with Maisha Soul. On 10 July, he disclosed to Radio Okapi their nationwide tour, which included visits to numerous major cities. He represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the Global Philanthropy Forum in San Francisco and was later honored with the Special Jury Trophy at the Ndule Pan-African Awards in Kinshasa.

## Solo career
### 2013–2016: Innocent Vol.1, management woes, and standalone releases

During an exclusive interview on Radio Kivu1 in early 2013, Innocent unveiled plans for his debut solo studio album, Innocent Vol.1. The album, containing eight singles including his previous smash hit "Up and Away", was released on 17 July by Maisha Soul Records. Innocent Vol.1 was mainly performed in Lingala to expand his audience in Kinshasa, although some critics viewed this as an arbitrary deviation from his earlier Swahili-based work endemic to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On 5 May 2014, Innocent was invited by the Master Peace Foundation to Holland's Liberation Day for two consecutive concerts. He performed on stage with Dutch singer Roel Van Velzen at Park de Wezenlanden in Zwolle. In October of that year, Innocent ended his contract deal with Lady Nadia, citing incompetence and unprofessionalism. Innocent revealed that during her three-year managerial tenure, Maisha Soul only produced one music video, "I Can Be Your Blue Eyed Boy," which was only made possible through external support and not Lady Nadia's leadership.
In February 2015, he released the single "Pola", which introduced his AfroCongo musical style. The song was produced by Eric Fonkodji Balume, known professionally as Djizzo, and directed by Achille Djibril Balume, who goes by the name Ach'B. Innocent teamed up with Werrason on the hit song "Eloko", which premiered in October 2015. The music video, recorded in Kinshasa, showcased a guest appearance by comedian Fiston Sai Sai. In February 2016, he took to the stage at the Amani Festival in front of thirty thousand people in Goma. In May 2016, he was featured in the track "First Lady" alongside X-Maleya, the Cameroonian makossa group. In October of that year, he debuted another single "Elengi", featuring Koffi Olomide. Sung in French, Lingala, and English, the song explores themes of love and prosperity, blending AfroCongo with various Afropop influences.

### 2017–2018: Plus

In March 2017, Innocent announced to Télé50 that his forthcoming five-track maxi single, Plus, was nearing its conclusive stages of production and slated for debut on 29 June. Issued by Maisha Soul Records, the maxi-single fused Congolese rumba with ndombolo and was supported by singles "Top Model", "Ozo Beta Mabe", "Lelo Lelo", "Mur", and "Mon Boulot". While working on plus, he also made a guest appearance on Anita Mwarabu's single "Bolingo Mabe". The music video for "Top Model", which premiered on 2 November, featured his fiancée Rebo Tchulo. It was followed by "Ozo Beta Mabe" on 1 February 2018, which showed Innocent dancing with his classmates in a school uniform in Kinshasa. The titular phrase "Ozo Beta Mabe," a colloquialism loosely translating as "you do harm," is a commentary on universal negative behavior. "Ozo Beta Mabe" garnered significant popularity in the DRC and across Africa and was viewed more than a million times on YouTube. "Lelo Lelo", infused with Congolese rumba and Afrocongo, features subtle hints of ndombolo that complement rather than overpower the sound. The song helped establish his name locally and was listed among Music In Africa's "Top 5 best rumba songs in 2018".

### 2019–2020: "Yo Pe", "Yo Pe Remix", "Olandi", "Best", and other ventures

On 11 August, Innocent debuted his single "Yo Pe" through Maisha Soul Records and Believe Music, which gained significant popularity in Africa with over one million views on YouTube in two weeks and sparked controversy due to the image of a goat wearing a crown. "Yo Pe" challenges moral quandaries such as indolence, dependency, solicitation, effortless gains, and parasitism. The song's music video was blocked on 10 September, due to YouTube copyright constraints, as it used content protected by the Indian-based company Spice Digital South Africa, which claims rights to its creations. The company later reassured that its teams were doing everything to resolve the issue. "Yo Pe" was named "Song of the Year" by Congolese entertainment website Mbote.
On 7 September, Innocent unveiled a remix of "Yo Pe", which featured Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz. It was directed by Director Kenny under Zoom Extra. In the video, Innocent repeats the lyrics of the original version while Diamond Platnumz interjects with Swahili refrains. The remix amassed 150 million views within a year, becoming the first song in East Africa and Central Africa to achieve this feat so quickly. The song's success catapulted Innocent's visibility, and went on to perform across major European cities, including Luxembourg, Lyon, Essen, Brussels, Pau, Lille, Madrid, Gothenburg, London, Strasbourg, and Berlin. He also performed at several festivals, including the Starboy Fest with the Nigerian singer Wizkid, the Kinshasa Showbuzz concert, and the Afro Nation festival in Ghana in December of that year. The remix sparked the "Yope dance challenge" on various social media platforms and influenced Diamond Platnumz to incorporate dance sequences from it into his subsequent release, "Baba Lao." In June 2020, the song earned Innocent a nomination for Best New International Act at the BET Awards.
On 28 July 2020, Innocent issued his AfroCongo-infused single "Olandi", which he described as a tribute to those who initially criticize and oppose him but ultimately end up imitating his style and enjoying his music, thus validating the titular epithet "Olandi" (interpreted as "You Copy"). "Olandi" was directed by Ach'B and produced by Maisha Soul, with distribution by the Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music, on behalf of the Parisian label Privaty Prod. Within six months of its debut, "Olandi" garnered 26 million views on YouTube, making Innocent one of the Congolese artists who have contributed to the development of 21st-century Congolese music with his "AfroCongo" style. "Olandi" peaked at number-one on the Trace Africa weekly television countdown African Hit 30. Reviewing for Music in Africa, Jean de Dieu Boukanga described "Olandi" as "joyful and catchy" and praised its "pleasant choreographies".
Innocent published his rap-influenced single "Best", featuring French rapper Damso, on 15 October 2020. The music video, shot in Kinshasa, was directed by Ach'B, produced by Maisha Soul, and distributed by Privaty Prod. It featured appearances by Congolese musicians Gaz Fabilouss, Rebo Tchulo, and Gracia Lizarbo. "Best" quickly became a hit, amassing two million views on YouTube within a week and receiving over 550,000 streams on Spotify.
In November 2020, Innocent was invited to perform in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as part of the Burkinabè presidential election campaign. On 4 December, he performed at the Espace Bahalis Square in Lubumbashi. His concert scheduled for 25 December in Niger, at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché, was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, even though it was initially slated as part of the denouement of the Nigerien presidential election campaign, scheduled for 27 December.
Innocent continued to release a series of successful singles, including "MEME" on 6 March 2021, which accumulated six million views on YouTube in two months. On 17 July, he released "NO NO," featuring Rebo Tchulo, which amassed one million views on YouTube within three days and ranked second place on BBC Radio 1Xtra, after Diamond Platnumz, marking him as the first Congolese solo artist to achieve this feat.

### 2021–2023: Mortel-06 and standalone releases

On 9 December 2021, Innocent announced that his forthcoming second studio album, Mortel-06, was almost finished. The record, which includes 15 tracks, was released on 26 December through Maisha Soul Records and is a fusion of Congolese rumba, hip-hop, and Afro-trap. It quickly landed in the top five of Congolese online music platforms. Nearly three weeks after its debut, Mortel-06 reached the top spot on Boomplay's Weekly Top Albums, ahead of Tayc's Fleur Froide and Ninho's Jefe. The popular single "Sukali" reached one million views in just two months. To promote the album, Innocent toured Abidjan, where he appeared on television to present Mortel-06, and later held a series of concerts in Kinshasa.
In July 2022, Innocent made his debut tour to Togo with a performance at the Hôtel La Concorde in Lomé. He later embarked on several concerts in major US cities including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Denver, and Dallas as part of his American tour. On 31 December, Innocent unveiled his Afrocongo-style single "Maboko Milayi" featuring Awilo Longomba, which earned two million views on YouTube within 13 days. He then released another single titled "Kiss" featuring Tanzanian singer Zuchu on 18 February 2023. Innocent later premiered a teaser for his "AfroCongo Planet Live" in May 2023 and was later featured in Zuchu's hit single remix of "Nani" on 6 June, which exceeded two million views on YouTube within 10 days. On 7 July, Innocent issued "Flex" featuring French rapper Kaaris, which earned one million views on YouTube within four days of its debut.
On 6 November, Innocent featured in Yemi Alade's sixth studio album, Rebel Queen, on the track "Lipeka", which was a fusion of ndombolo, sung in Lingala and English, and garnered considerable attention on digital streaming platforms. On 21 November, Innocent published another single, "Mpiaka," which blends Amapiano and AfroCongo style. Within 24 hours of its release, "Mpiaka" gained substantial traction on TikTok, amassing over 10,000 videos featuring the hashtag #Mpiaka, making the song one of the viral contents of the day on the app.

### 2024–present: Calcul

On 29 March 2024, Innocent released his five-track EP Calcul with singles such as "Number One", "Sete", "Bango Kaka Te", "Bilan Zéro", and "Chantier". Published by Maisha Soul Records, the EP features a predominant blend of Congolese rumba, AfroCongo, and Afrobeat and includes a guest appearance by Nigerian singer Reekado Banks. The song "Sete" gained massive popularity, with over a million views in just 13 days. The hashtag #Sete became popular across various social media platforms and was even embraced by celebrities such as Herman Amisi and Migue Niema. On 27 July, he performed at Belgium's Esperanzah! festival, held from 26–28 July at L'Abbaye de Floreffe. His amapiano-inspired single "Amapiupiu" was released on 19 September. Two days later, he joined Yemi Alade onstage at Zénith de Paris and later performed at the 7th Rencontres Musicales Africaines (REMA) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, held from 17–18 October. He also collaborated on Ivorian singer Apoutchou National's "Envoyez Nouveau", which premiered on 18 October, and Awilo Longomba's "Mbongo Na Ngai Moko" on 15 November.

## Discography
### Albums

* Innocent Vol.1 (2013)
* Mortel-06 (2021)

### Maxi-single

* Plus (2017)

### Extended Play

* Calcul (2024)

### Mixtape

* Keep Smiling (2013)

### Collaborations

| Year | Title | Album |
| 2010 | "Up and Away" (featuring Akon) | Non-album singles |
| 2010 | "Merci Maman" (featuring Fally Ipupa) | Non-album singles |
| 2013 | Navio "She Likes Me" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2013 | Navio "One and Only" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2019 | "Yo Pe" Remix (featuring Diamond Platnumz) | Non-album singles |
| 2020 | "Best" (featuring Damso) | Non-album singles |
| 2020 | Fabregas le Métis Noir "Yo Moko Pona" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2021 | Samarino "Oko Lelela Nani" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2021 | Rayvanny "Kelebe" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2022 | Shado Chris "Cabri Mort" Remix (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2022 | Ko-c "Quand J'aurai L'argent" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2022 | "Maboko Milayi" (featuring Awilo Longomba) | Non-album singles |
| 2023 | "Flex" (featuring Kaaris) | Non-album singles |
| 2023 | Bahati "Mukando" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2023 | Mputu Meya "Loketo" Remix (featuring Innoss'B and Rebo Tchulo) | Non-album singles |
| 2023 | Diesel Gucci "Bisous Bye" (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |
| 2023 | Zuchu "Nani" Remix (featuring Innoss'B) | Non-album singles |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result |
| 2007 | Revelation 2007 Awards | | Himself | Won |
| 2021 | Vodacom SuperStar Awards | | Himself | Won |
| 2011 | Ndule Awards | Special Jury | Himself | Nominated |
| 2019 | Pool Malebo Music Awards | Best Hip-Hop Artist | Himself | Won |
| 2020 | BET Awards | Best International Act | Himself | Nominated |
| 2021 | Kundé d'Or | Best Featuring of African Integration | Himself | Won |
| 2021 | MTV Africa Music Awards | Best Male Act | Himself | Nominated |
| 2021 | MTV Africa Music Awards | Best Francophone Act | Himself | Nominated |
| 2021 | MTV Africa Music Awards | Song of the Year | "Olandi" | Nominated |
| 2021 | African Muzik Magazine Awards | Best Male Central Africa | Himself | Nominated |
| 2021 | African Muzik Magazine Awards | Video of the Year | "Kelebe" (with Rayvanny) | Nominated |
| 2021 | African Muzik Magazine Awards | Best Francophone | Himself | Nominated |
| 2022 | The Headies | Best Central African Artist of the Year | Himself | Won |
| 2022 | African Muzik Magazine Awards | Best Francophone | Himself | Nominated |
| 2022 | African Muzik Magazine Awards | Best Male Central Africa | Himself | Nominated |
| 2023 | EAEA | Artist of the Year | Himself | Nominated |
| 2023 | Pool Malebo Music Awards | Best Hip-Hop Artist | Himself | Won |
| 2023 | Zikomo Africa Awards | Afrochart of the Year | Himself | Nominated |
| 2023 | Prix Lokumu | Best Male Urban Artist | Himself | Won |
| 2024 | African Entertainment Awards USA | Best Francophone Male Artist | Himself | Nominated |
| 2024 | African Entertainment Awards USA | Best Male Artist - Central/West Africa | Himself | Nominated |