After days of silence, French rapper Orelsan has finally addressed his feud with Kylian Mbappe, following the Real Madrid star’s furious response to a lyric mocking his failed ownership of Caen. The rapper, who said he’d “rather think than react impulsively,” has decided to remain calm instead of charging into a confrontation, even as the feud keeps attracting more interest.
It began with a single line. In La Petite Voix, a track from Orelsan’s new album La Fuite en Avant, the rapper’s darker alter ego sneers: “Yeah, you’re going to sink your city like the Mbappes.”
The bar took aim at his handling of Caen, the Normandy club now owned by Mbappe’s family and floundering in France’s third division. Once seen as a saviour, the Madrid superstar now faces frustration from Caen supporters after the club’s steep decline.
Mbappe, rarely one to engage in public spats, fired back almost immediately on X. “You’re welcome to come and save the city you love so much. PS: The guy kept begging us to get in with 1% without paying because he’s broke,” he wrote pointing accusation that Orelsan had sought a stake in the club for free.
The message went viral, dividing France between football fans defending Mbappe and rap loyalists praising Orelsan’s audacity.
Caught in the storm, Orelsan responded not with more lyrics but with restraint. During a book-signing in Caen, the 41-year-old artist told France 3 Normandie: “I’m not talking about it right now; I prefer to think about it rather than react impulsively. I prefer to save my answers for when I’ve thought them through, in a more appropriate setting.”
He reiterated that he didn’t want to reply “in the heat of the moment,” hinting he would rather let the controversy cool before choosing his words carefully. Those close to the rapper say he was surprised by the intensity of Mbappe’s reaction, especially since the verse was meant to be satirical, reflecting the darker themes of the album rather than a personal attack.
Still, Mbappe’s outburst has made La Petite Voix one of the most streamed French tracks of the week, propelling La Fuite en Avant to the top of Spotify France.
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Behind the feud lies a real-world problem. In 2024, Mbappe purchased an 80 per cent stake in Caen through his firm Coalition Capital, investing about €20 million. The move, initially hailed as a heartfelt homecoming, quickly soured. By April 2025, Caen were relegated from Ligue 2 for the first time in 41 years. Fans stormed the pitch, waving banners that read “Mbappe, SMC is not your toy.”
Lay-offs, shrinking ticket sales, and mounting debt followed. Critics accused the ownership group of detachment and poor communication. Christophe Vaucelle of the Malherbe Normandy Kop said bluntly: “The Mbappé clan bears responsibility. They came, stayed invisible, and disconnected from the fans.”
For Mbappe, already balancing club duties at Madrid and captaincy of France, the Caen crisis dented his image as football’s flawless poster boy. The Orelsan lyric reopened old wounds and turned what could have been a local grievance into a national talking point.
As the feud trended across social media, another heavyweight entered the ring: Booba. The veteran rapper, who has his own history of mocking Mbappe, reposted a fan comment praising Orelsan for doing “what Booba couldn’t”. Booba replied: “Amazing analysis, well done. But Orelsan isn’t broke, and he spoke his mind.”
His support reignited the long-running tension between Mbappe and France’s rap scene, where authenticity and ego often collide. For some, the exchange revealed a generational rift: Mbappe, the globalised athlete-brand, versus Orelsan, the introspective artist grounded in provincial realism.
Meanwhile, Caen’s struggles persist, the club sits mid-table in the National League, still searching for stability under coach Maxime D’Ornano. The club currently sits at the 10th position in the National in 13 games.
