Wallen

This article is about the singer. For the famous red light district of Amsterdam, see De Wallen. Wallen (born Nawell Azzouz, January 23, 1978) is one of the first French R&B singer. Her stage name comes from the rearrangement of the letters of her first name. She was born in Saint-Denis, France, to Moroccan parents. As a child, she learned to play the violin and developed a passion for singing. She grew up listening to Funk, Hip hop, and R&B. She decided to become a singer after seeing Lauryn Hill in the movie Sister Act 2. Influenced by Aaliyah, Wallen made her recording debut with producer Sullee B Wax, and female rapper St├® Strass. In 1998, she was featured on the French RnB compilation "24 Carats", with "Je ne pleurs pas" (I'm not crying). Her first hit came with Celle Qui Dit Non with the rapper Shurik'n. In 2004, she released the album Avoir La Vie Devant Soi which includes the singles Bouge Cette Vie, L'Olivier, and Donna. She also sang with Usher on the French version of U Got It Bad. She is married to the French rapper Abd al Malik. With Abd al Malik and a few other rappers she created a group called Beni Snassen, who recorded an album under that name.