RIDSA

Hailing from Orleans, France, Ridsa claims two heritages in life and music: French and Spanish. His upbeat R&B-, hip-hop-, and reggaeton-inspired works, including streaming hits like “La c’est die,” “Je m’en fous,” “Santa Maria,” “Nous Doux,” and “Me Enamoré,” recall the soulful chanson of his countrymen alongside the polyglot pop of acts like Bad Bunny. Born Maxence Boitez to parents of Spanish origin in 1990, he harbored ambitions of playing football before making public his hobby of rapping. He began uploading tracks in 2010 and broke through with 2013’s "Je n'ai pas eu le temps," a collaboration with French DJ Willy William (who had an international hit in “Mi Gente” with J Balvin) and Canadian rap-rocker Ryan Stevenson. The track was the centerpiece of the EP Es tu fiesta; the full-length debut album Mes histoires followed a year later. Subsequent albums L.O.V.E. and Tranquille, both released in 2015, fared even better, with the latter spinning off “La c’est die,” a Top Five hit. Ridsa kept chasing his Latin music muse on the albums Libre (2017) -- his first Top Ten long-player -- and Vagabond (2019). After a lengthy absence, Ridsa returned with 2023’s EQUATEUR, featuring platinum singles “Santa Maria” and “Nous Deux.” Verano was released in 2025, spinning off the fan favorite “Me Enamoré.” ~ Mike Duquette