Chim?ne Badi was born in Melun, in the Paris suburbs but she spent her entire childhood in the south-west of France, growing up in Villeneuve-sur-Lot with her parents, Ch?rifa and Mohammed, her sister, D?borah, and her brother, Karim. Her sister D?borah encouraged her to persevere with her singing and Chim?ne went on to hone her vocal style still further, performing at family parties and regional song contests from the age of six.
Chim?ne also made her mark at her school's end-of-year shows, wowing the audience with her confident vocal performance. Teachers barely recognised Chim?ne who, when she was off stage, was a notoriously shy pupil, given to daydreaming and complexes about her appearance. Meanwhile, Chim?ne plugged away at her studies, going on to obtain a "BEP" in agribusiness.