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Calbo, Ärsenik Co-Founder and 1990s Rap Mainstay, Dies

The Ärsenik co-founder helped define 1990s French hip-hop.

Overview

  • His family announced his death on Sunday, January 4, in a communiqué posted via the official Ärsenik account on Instagram.
  • Outlets report conflicting ages at the time of death, with some citing 52 and others 53.
  • The family did not specify a cause of death, though some reports describe a long illness and earlier coverage noted a prior hospitalization for diabetes complications.
  • With his brother Lino, he formed Ärsenik in the early 1990s, and their 1998 album Quelques gouttes suffisent—featuring Boxe avec les mots—earned double-gold certification.
  • Tributes from peers poured in, including rapper Rohff’s message honoring him as “a great gentleman of rap,” and coverage recalled the duo’s role in the Secteur Ä collective and Calbo’s later works, including a 2022 solo album and a 2021 memoir.