Maes (rapper)
Walid Georgey, better known by his stage name Maes, is a French rapper of Moroccan origin from Sevran. His debut album, Pure, certified triple platinum. Two years later, he released a second album, Les Derniers Salopards '''', certified diamond. Two more albums followed: Omerta and La vie continue, both certified platinum. One of his most known singles is the diamond-certified "Madrina" with French rapper Booba.
Life and career
Maes grew up in Beaudottes in Sevran in the northeastern suburbs of Paris with his five brothers and two sisters. He started rapping aged 14 forming the trio MSR with his friends Radmo and SY3. After high school, Maes served a sentence for 18 months in the prison of Villepinte from 2016 to 2017. During his incarceration, he released a number of songs and a mixtape Réelle Vie. After release from detention, he released "#MaesEstLibérable", and debuted as a supporting act for the groupe 13 Block at the gig in La Bellevilloise in December 2017. On 2 March 2018, he released a second mixtape Réelle Vie 2.0 and upon its success was signed to the Millenium label, part of Capitol Music France. With the single "Madrina" featuring Booba, he topped SNEP, the French Singles Chart. The music video was shot in Bogotá. With Millenium, he had released the albums Pure in 2018 and Les derniers salopards in 2020.Legal issues
In January 2025, Maes was arrested in Morocco, after leaving his residence in Dubai. His detention was reportedly related to a local investigation into an alleged kidnapping and unlawful confinement. He is currently remanded in Tangier 2 local prison. Although a French warrant had been issued for his arrest in October 2023, the Moroccan arrest was not connected to that case. The French warrant stemmed from Maes' failure to appear at his trial for "group assault" involving a 2018 incident outside a recording studio. In ''absentia'', he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined €10,000. He has also been linked to several investigations concerning gang-related violence and drug trafficking in the Île-de-France region. In December 2024, he canceled a scheduled concert at Paris' Accor Arena due to the outstanding warrant.On 25 November, 2025, Maes was sentenced to 7 years in prison at the Tangier Criminal Court of First Instance. He was found guilty of "forming a criminal organisation, attempted abduction and unlawful confinement."