Zola was arrested in Le Pin, Seine-et-Marne, after police say the French Hip-Hop artist and three others kidnapped and violently beat a 19-year-old fan who approached the rapper’s home asking for a photo.
The 26-year-old performer, born Aurélien N’Zuzi Zola, is accused of orchestrating a disturbing two-hour attack that allegedly included beatings, threats with firearms and humiliation inside his residence.
According to Le Parisien, the victim was stripped, forced to watch his clothes burn, beaten and had a gun shoved in his mouth before being taken to the basement, where assailants allegedly fired “bursts of gunfire from a long gun very close to him.”
Authorities in Meaux charged Zola and his associates with kidnapping and aggravated assault with a weapon. The investigation is ongoing as police continue to collect evidence.
The incident reportedly began when the teenager arrived at Zola’s home hoping for a quick photo.
Instead, the “Amber” rapper allegedly emerged with a group of masked and armed men. The teen ran, but was chased down, captured and dragged back to the property while his friends got away.
Once inside, the violence escalated. The attackers allegedly forced the teen to undress, burned his clothes and beat him. A handgun was reportedly placed in his mouth.
Later, he was taken to the basement, where the group allegedly fired close-range gunshots near him. Before releasing him, they allegedly stole his phone and bank card.
The group then walked the victim back to his car, which had been vandalized, tires slashed, mirrors broken. According to Le Parisien, the group threatened to kill him if he contacted authorities.
The victim fled to nearby relatives before reporting the incident to police.
Zola, who rose to fame in 2016 and gained mainstream success with his debut album Cicatrices in 2019, has built a massive online following with more than 2 million social media followers.
His 2022 single “Amber” topped the French charts and helped cement his status as a rising star in the country’s Hip-Hop scene.
He recently collaborated with fellow rapper Koba LaD on the 2024 album Frères ennemis, which debuted at number one in France.
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