Nèg' Marrons

Formed in France by musicians of African descent, Nèg' Marrons specialize in reggae-rap and issued their first album during 1997. The trio, which came together in Garges-Sarcelles within Val-d'Oise, originally featured Ben-J (born Fabien Loubayi), Jacky Brown (Jacky Teixeira), and Djamatik (Mitry Vigilant). As members of the Secteur Ä collective, they entered the recording market in 1995 via the single "La Monnaie," which appeared on the soundtrack for Thomas Gilou's film Raï (1995). That track climbed into the French singles chart's Top 40 and secured a deal with Small, a Sony Music imprint. Their debut full-length, Rue Case Negres (1997), soon arrived and included the follow-up singles "Lève-Toi, Bats-Toi" and "Ménage à 4." Nèg' Marrons also contributed to the collective's live release, Secteur Ä's Live à l'Olympia (1997). After this early success, Ben-J took part in the Congolese-heritage French rap project Bisso Na Bisso on the albums Racines... (1999) and Le 15 Mai 1999 (1999). The next Nèg' Marrons effort, Le Bilan (2000), appeared as a duo once Djamatik had departed, with its title track becoming the strongest single by reaching the Top 20. Heritage (2003) marked their commercial peak, landing in the albums chart's Top 20 while yielding the Top 30 single "Tout le Monde Debout!," which featured Mr. Vegas, and the Top 40 single "Dis-Moi Si J'te Saoûle." After a four-year hiatus, the group returned in 2008 with Les Liens Sacrés, their first project tied to Because Music; it entered the Top 30 and featured the singles "Petites Îles" (featuring Césaria Évora) and "C'est Pas Normal."