Taha Fahssi ( ar, طه فحصي, born 3 August 1996), known by his stage name ElGrandeToto or Toto, is a Moroccan rapper, performing in
Darija
Maghrebi Arabic (, Western Arabic; as opposed to Eastern or Mashriqi Arabic) is a vernacular Arabic dialect continuum spoken in the Maghreb region, in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Western Sahara, and Mauritania. It includes Moroccan, Alge ...
,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
(usually mixing between them). He is the most listened artist in the
MENA
MENA, an acronym in the English language, refers to a grouping of countries situated in and around the Middle East and North Africa. It is also known as WANA, SWANA, or NAWA, which alternatively refers to the Middle East as Western Asia (or a ...
region on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
in 2021, with more than 135 million streams in 178 countries.
Biography
Having started his career in 2016, ElGrandeToto quickly enjoyed great success, especially with his song ''Pablo'' (2017), which managed to propel him to the forefront of the Moroccan scene.
In 2018, he released his first project, an EP entitled ''Illicit''.
In 2020, Taha was the eighth most streamed Arab artist in
MENA
MENA, an acronym in the English language, refers to a grouping of countries situated in and around the Middle East and North Africa. It is also known as WANA, SWANA, or NAWA, which alternatively refers to the Middle East as Western Asia (or a ...
on
Deezer
Deezer is a French online music streaming service. It allows users to listen to music content from record labels, as well as podcasts on various devices online or offline.
Created in Paris, Deezer currently has 90 million licensed tracks in i ...
, and his song “Hors Série” was the seventh most streamed song on the platform. In the same year, he won the title of "Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist" in the
2020 African Entertainment Awards USA
The 6th AEAUSA was held at New Jersey on December 20, 2020 with no live audience due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was broadcast live on AEAUSA YouTube channel. Nominees were revealed on October 9, 2020. The ceremony seeks to rew ...
.
In 2020, Fahssi lost his mother and released the song Mghayer in her tribute on 5 January 2021, which is now the most viewed music video on his YouTube channel with over 83 million views.
In March 2021, Toto's debut album "Caméléon" was ranked among the top 6 global album debuts worldwide by
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
, an unprecedented achievement for any Arab singer. In the same year, the artist entered the Forbes list of music stars in the Arab world, which includes the 50 most successful singers and bands of 2021.
In 2021, he was awarded with the title of both most streamed Arab artist and most streamed artist in the MENA region by Spotify.
As
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
's main sport is
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, Toto has found a liking to it, being a supporter of
Wydad AC
Wydad Athletic Club ( ar, نادي الوداد الرياضي, ) commonly referred to as Wydad AC and known as Wydad, or simply as WAC, is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca. Wydad AC is best known for its professional Association footba ...
(revealed in Salade Coco).
On 12 May 2022 while performing at the Megarama
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
, ElGrandeToto received his first music recording certification from his collaboration with the Nigerian
Afrobeats
Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...
singer
CKay
Chukwuka Ekweani (born 16 July 1995), better known by his stage name Ckay (stylised as CKay), is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Warner Music South Africa, and Atlantic Records. He was formerly signed to Chocolate Cit ...
on the remix of his 2021 hit song
Love Nwantiti
"Love Nwantiti" is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter CKay, released in 2019 as the second track from his second extended play ''Ckay the First'' by Chocolate City through Warner Music Group. A remix of the song titled "Love Nwantiti (Ah ...
. It was certified diamond in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
by the SNEP with more than 15 million streams from premium accounts, making ElGrandeToto the first Moroccan artist performing in Darija to achieve a diamond certification in France.
ElGrandeToto is currently under an exclusive license agreement with
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, a division of Sony Music France.
Toto's management team includes Anissa Jalab, former manager rappers
Damso
William Kalubi Mwamba (born 10 May 1992 in Kinshasa), better known by his stage name Damso (), is a Belgian- Congolese rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is popular in France, where all of his albums were certified at least platinum.
Early lif ...
and
Manal
Manal was an Argentine rock group. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock.Wagram Belgium.
Controversies
In October 2022, Taha Fahssi publicly apologized after sparking a controversy about
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
consumption during a festival's press conference in September 2022, where he defended his recreational use of the drug as following : "I smoke
hash
Hash, hashes, hash mark, or hashing may refer to:
Substances
* Hash (food), a coarse mixture of ingredients
* Hash, a nickname for hashish, a cannabis product
Hash mark
*Hash mark (sports), a marking on hockey rinks and gridiron football field ...
-- so what? ..It does not mean I set a bad example".
Following these events, The rapper was taken into custody after complaints were filed by "three artists, a journalist, and a policeman". An investigation is yet to be made by the authorities focusing on all his publications, digital content and statements "likely to contain elements punishable by law". Taha's lawyer stated that his client should not be used as a tool to "settle political scores".
Later, most complaints were withdrawn, and the public prosecution office in
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
decided to release the rapper with a 20,000 MAD bail. Taha is yet to appear before the
Ain Sebaa
Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where i ...
Court. On 18 January 2023, A court in
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
sentenced Toto to serve an 8 month suspended prison sentence, in addition to paying a fine of MAD10,000.
Khtek
Houda Abouz ( ar, هدى عبوز) is a Moroccan rapper and women's rights advocate, known by her stage name (in Moroccan Arabic, meaning "your sister").apRapRapRap(2020)
* ''VitamineDZ'' (2020)
* ''Confiné'' (2020)
* ''Haram (Pablo II)'' (2021)
* ''Salade Coco'' (2021)
* ''7elmet Ado 5'' (2022)
* ''Salina (c'est La Rue)'' eat. Stormy, Khtek, Abduh, 7liwa, Vargas, OUENZA, Figoshin, Dollypran & Smallx(with Tagne and Draganov) (2022)
* ''Comforter'' (ft.
Ayra Starr
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer. She was born in Cotonou, Benin. Ayra Starr began a fashion career at the age of 16 with Quove Model Management before deciding to pursue ...
Love Nwantiti
"Love Nwantiti" is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter CKay, released in 2019 as the second track from his second extended play ''Ckay the First'' by Chocolate City through Warner Music Group. A remix of the song titled "Love Nwantiti (Ah ...
CKay
Chukwuka Ekweani (born 16 July 1995), better known by his stage name Ckay (stylised as CKay), is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Warner Music South Africa, and Atlantic Records. He was formerly signed to Chocolate Cit ...