Voleur translates directly to "thief." It's an intriguing word that immediately suggests a narrative of crime or betrayal, making it stand out from more common vocabulary.
In the context of the song, GLK uses "voleur" to describe people who pretend to be tough or authentic but are actually fake or have given up their principles. He contrasts them with himself, implying that while they might act like thieves, they've ultimately "rendered" everything, losing their credibility.
GLK's "Sadness, Pt. 2 : Voleur" paints a vivid picture of a life filled with hardship, betrayal, and relentless ambition. The artist describes walking alone through storms and wiping his mother's tears, suggesting a difficult past. He expresses a deep distrust for others, claiming he would "refuse your glass" even in the desert. This theme of authenticity is central, as he calls out people who pretend to be real but are not, and those who act like tough "sellers" or "thieves" but are actually "sellouts" who have "given everything back."
Despite the struggles, the song is a declaration of resilience and a look towards a brighter future. The artist sees life as a repeating cycle of storms followed by sunshine: "History repeats itself, we go through the storm." He acknowledges that his only true opponent is the person he sees in the mirror. His goals are clear: earn millions, add diamonds to his watch, and fly off to the Maldives, all while never forgetting his roots and his duty to his family, like finishing his grandmother's tombstone.
Ghiles Abbad was born in Saint-Denis in January 1994 and grew up in nearby Bobigny, in the northern suburbs of Paris, to a family with Algerian roots. He cut his teeth with a local group called ZAR before stepping out on his own as GLK in 2015, when he began releasing freestyles under the Bandito series.
Two early mixtapes, Avant Murder and Murder, put him in the same conversation as Niska, Gradur, Sofiane, and KeBlack, and a deal with Universal followed soon after. The single 99% (Tijuana) reached No. 13 on the French singles chart, and Wesh, a duet with Heuss l'Enfoiré, kept his name on the charts as he built toward his debut album, Indécis. He has released steadily ever since, including the albums Veni and Vidi, with guest spots from Timal, Kaaris, Mougli, and ASHE 22.