According to a judicial source, the artist is the subject of five complaints for “defamation, insults, threats and incitement to violence”.
The Casablanca prosecutor decided to place T aha Fahssi, better known by his stage name ElGrande Toto, in police custody after complaints were filed by “three artists, a journalist and a policeman”.
According to the institutional daily Le Matin, the rapper is the subject of a preliminary investigation. It should cover all of its publications, digital content and statements “likely to contain elements punishable by law”.
On Sunday, the Moroccan rapper apologized to “people offended” by his statements during a recent concert in Rabat where he assumed he was consuming cannabis. This triggered an outcry in Morocco.
“I apologize to all the people whom my remarks have offended, starting with the authorities, to the public present (at the concert) and to everyone”, declared Taha Fahssi, alias ” ElGrande Toto “.
First cannabis producer
On September 23, ElGrande Toto admitted to smoking kif in front of the press after a concert in Rabat organized by the Ministry of Culture: “I smoke hashish, so what?” he said. “That does not mean that I am a bad example” for the public, he added.
These statements, amplified by news sites and social networks, have caused indignation in this country, classified as the first producer of cannabis in the world according to the UN, but where the recreational use of the plant is prohibited.
“We’re not bad people. We rap and rap isn’t bad. Rap has a particular language, maybe I didn’t use it well at the right time,” he said. conceded the 26-year-old Casablanca artist.
“This controversy was not calculated (…) It got too big, it’s a very good lesson for me”, admitted the rapper, who said he was “misunderstood” behind dark glasses.
ElGrande Toto is the most searched Arab artist in the Maghreb and the Middle East on the Spotify platform, with more than 50 million streams in 2021. His YouTube channel has 2.7 million subscribers and more than 431 million views.
“We make music and art. I will continue on this path. I will still go on stage to do concerts and continue to represent Moroccan art and rap,” he promised on Sunday.
