Rapper Gims at the opening ceremony of the 105th Grand Prix d'Amérique in Paris, on January 25, 2026. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP
"If he wants some choco, he'll have to wait," "Do you have some choco?" As investigators from France's National Anti-Fraud Office reviewed messages between rapper Gims and his manager, Arthur L., recovered from the manager's phone, they noticed the repeated use of the term "choco" – for "chocolate" – when discussing business. In one January 6, 2025 exchange, Arthur L. offered the 39-year-old Congolese star a lucrative private showcase booking: "I've got a private gig 20 minutes from Paris on the 11th around 10 pm. €40,000, 20 minutes. You up for it?" Gims replied, "Oh yeah, wow. Choco?"
On March 25, 2026, the artist, whose real name is Gandhi Djuna, was arrested as he got off a plane at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and placed in custody by France's National Anti-Fraud Office. He was ordered to explain the meaning behind this exchange. "The 'choco' means cash," he told the customs investigation officers. "I don't remember that night. There are sometimes as many shows canceled as there are performed, but yes, there is cash going around; that's true. But I'm not laundering money."
