Naps, a French rapper, has been ordered by an investigating magistrate to stand trial for rape, following accusations of assaulting a woman while she was asleep in 2021.
Nabil Boudi, the rapper's lawyer, stated that Naps
vehemently denies all charges, including his most popular track "La
kiffance" which has garnered over 186 million views on YouTube. The rapper
hails from the Mediterranean city of Marseille.
Boudi mentioned that he had lodged an appeal against the
trial order in Paris, which prosecutors stated was submitted on May 15th.
A criminal complaint was filed by a young woman in October
2021 against Naps, alleging that she and her friends had shared a table with
the rapper during a night out at a bar in the city, according to prosecutors.
The group later relocated to a hotel room where the singer's
friends gradually departed.
“The young women had fallen asleep when one of them says she
was woken up by a sexual act she did not consent to,” prosecutors added.
Naps was subsequently charged later that month and placed
under judicial observation.
The prosecution requested a trial in February of this year,
which has been approved.
Naps’ first album “Ma ville et ma vie” (“My city and my
life”) was released in 2015, but he shot to fame in 2021 with the release of
“La kiffance”, a track from “Les mains faites pour l’or” (“Hands made for
gold”).
He has collaborated with other prominent French artists,
including the internationally renowned Maitre Gims.