Biography
Colonel Reyel established himself as the foremost figure among French urban musicians who incorporate military ranks into their stage names, much like Admiral T and Kaporal Maiky, through multiple hit releases that topped the charts. Rémy Ranguin came into the world in Guadeloupe in 1984 before being brought up in Paris, where he was immersed in music from a young age due to his father's hobby of playing guitar and the later success of his cousin Pédro Pirbakas as the reggae artist known as Krys. His early passion for hip-hop led him to become part of Septentrional Crew in 2004; however, a trip back to the West Indies prompted him to take on the moniker Colonel Reyel, declare his purpose as serving Haile Selassie I—the biblical messiah returned, in Rastafarian belief—and explore fusions of zouk, ragga, R&B, and dancehall across independent mixtapes such as the 2008 release Boomaz Mixtape, Vol. 1. In collaboration with Krys and DJ Doug for the 100% Zouk collection, he put out his first full-length project, Au Rapport, which, akin to the preceding singles "Celui" and "Toutes les Nuits," ascended to the number one spot on French charts.