Booba is the most controversial figure in French rap. His history of public conflicts, his longevity in a scene he helped build, and his devoted fanbase make his concerts a cultural event beyond the music itself. The Nemesis Tour at Paris La Defense Arena with 40,000 people was one of the more anticipated French rap shows of 2025.

Getting in with camera equipment was a challenge. Security at Booba concerts is notoriously strict and the process of getting my gear approved took significantly longer than at comparable shows. I was delayed multiple times and missed the opening of the set.

The crowd itself was a spectacle. 40,000 people who collectively know every word of a catalogue that spans more than two decades. The energy in the venue when the show began was physical and immediate.

My honest assessment is that the show was good but not great, and I gave it 6 out of 10. The reasons are specific. The production relied heavily on playback in ways that were audible. The stage design, while large in scale, was not particularly inventive visually. There were no major guest appearances to punctuate the set. And the performance style, while commanding, was less physically dynamic than the productions of international artists of comparable stature.

What worked was the music and the crowd. The catalogue is genuinely exceptional and hearing it at that volume with 40,000 people who know it as well as their own names produces a specific kind of joy.

If you are a Booba fan, go. The experience of being in that crowd for those songs is worth it. If you are curious about French rap but unfamiliar with the catalogue, start with a different show and come back when you know the material well enough to participate.