Lous and the Yakuza, the musical moniker of Belgian-Congolese rapper, singer and model Marie Pierra-Kakoma, has released a handful of singles, including Tout est gore, Bon Actuer and Solo, and is gearing up to drop her debut album, Gore, this year.

With Madonna and Alicia Keys among fans, her tracks and visuals have been described as ‘regal yet streetwise’, and comment on her own trauma and hardship, including her displacement during the war in Congo, as well as the adversity faced by black people in society. Speaking to Dazed about her album, Lous said she hoped that ‘through listening to my album people feel some empathy, and feel a little more able to understand humanity without judging so quickly’.