A Senegalese-Canadian rapper, songwriter, and actress, Sarahmée was born as "Sarahmée Ouellet" in 1986 in Dakar, Sénégal. Adopted by Quebec parents, she traveled extensively throughout her childhood due to her father's job, which brought the family to locations like Rwanda, France, and Tunisia. By 2002, the family had settled in Quebec City, where Sarahmée began writing songs at 17 years old. Her older brother, Karim Ouellet, also began making music, eventually becoming a Juno Award-winning songwriter whose 2014 album, Fox, was named "French Album of the Year." Meanwhile, Sarahmée launched her own Juno-nominated career in 2011 with the release of her debut EP Retox. Another EP, Sans détour, followed in 2013. Her first album, Légitime, was released in 2015. The sophomore effort Irréversible arrived in 2017, bringing with it a wave of critical acclaim that found Sarahmée being nominated for "Revelation of the Year" at the Felix Awards in 2018. "Bun Dem," a track from Irréversible, also received attention, earning a nomination for "Video of the Year" at the 2020 Juno Awards. Sarahmée released multiple stand-alone singles that same year before returning in 2021 with another full-length record, Poupée Russe, whose songs found room for rapped verses, tropical influences, and pop melodies.
