Pierpoljak, a French reggae star who has become known as … Read Full Bio ↴Pierpoljak
Pierpoljak, a French reggae star who has become known as the White Rasta, has not always espoused Rastafarism. Far from it, in fact. The singer has followed a fairly tortuous path to fame, with many ups and downs in his personal life, before achieving his current success.
Born in Paris on 7 September 1964, Pierpoljak (whose real name is Pierre) grew up in Colombes in the Paris suburbs. Pierre was a difficult adolescent who got into all sorts of trouble and in the mid-70s he got involved in the punk/skinhead movement. It was around the same time that he took his first steps as a musician, playing bass with a local band called Samu 92. Pierre’s passion for punk eventually led to him moving to London in 1981 where he threw himself into the violent, aggressive sound of the "No future" movement. Living in a squat in Stockwell, in south-west London, Pierre gradually came to discover reggae through his Jamaican-born neighbours, listening to the likes of Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals. This proved to be a big musical revelation for him.
Pierre eventually returned to France and got into trouble with the authorities, ending up serving time in Fleury-Mérogis prison. When he got out of jail, the young adventurer decided to take to the high seas, travelling round the Caribbean. Pierre signed up as a member of the crew of a cargo ship and spent the next few years sailing round the French West Indies and the Dominican Republic (an island he grew particularly fond of).
On his return to France, Pierre took up his old musical activities once again and began to make a name for himself on the Paris underground scene, performing under the pseudonym Brada Peter, then Peter Pan. He managed to get two of his earliest tracks onto the 1994 compilation "Earthquake", an album which also featured up-and-coming reggae stars such as Saï Saï and Tonton David.
Success story
By 1991, Pierre - who, by that point, had changed his stage name to Pierpoljak - was living in the countryside with a wife and child to support. He had started writing and composing his own material in his home studio and his songs soon came to the attention of a major label, Barclay, who offered him a recording contract in 1995.
1996 saw the release of Pierpoljak’s debut album, entirely recorded in the comfort of his own home. One of the songs on it, "La Music", ended up remixed by legendary reggae producer Clive Hunt and this boosted the success of Pierpoljak’s album, giving it a second lease of life. A few months later, a new version of the album was released as "En Jamaïca", featuring a number of Jamaican DJs toasting on several tracks including "Annie" and "Touriste à Babylone." Meanwhile, Pierpoljak threw a great deal of time and energy into the live circuit, performing a hectic round of concerts and appearing at the famous Transmusicales festival in Rennes in 1997.
After the experience he had acquired in the studio and on the live circuit, Pierpoljak decided the time had come to fulfill one of his oldest dreams and he flew out to record a new album in Jamaica with Clive Hunt. Working in the legendary Tuff Gong studios in Kingston Town, the French reggaeman teamed up with some of the hottest names on the local music scene including drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace and guitarist Earl "China" Smith.
Pierpoljak’s second album, "Kingston Karma", released in June 1998, featured fourteen tracks with superbly-crafted lyrics. It also included an extraordinary reworking of John Lennon’s "Instant Karma", characterised by Pierpoljak’s signature vocal drawl. The first single release from the album, the catchy "Je sais pas jouer", set the tone for what was to come, proving that French reggae could finally branch out onto the musical mainstream and follow rap to the top of the charts
Pierpoljak set off on an extensive national tour in 1998, taking his infectious reggae sound up and down the country. He put in a number of appearances at major French music festivals during the tour and appeared at the Printemps de Bourges in April 1999.
After his own personal breakthrough on the French music scene, Pierpoljak embarked upon a collective project in 2000, aimed at demonstrating that Gallic reggae had now emerged in a league of its own. With a helping hand from Jamaican drummer Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Pierpoljak got a number of young up-and-coming reggae stars such as Flamengo, Asher, Dynamik and Mathieu Ruben together with a bunch of reggae veterans including Daddy Yod, Supa John, Daddy Mory (a former member of Raggasonic) and Pablo Master. And the whole crew went into the studio together to record "+2coeur=soleil", a personal homage to Pierpoljak’s favourite sound.
Pierpoljak returned to the studio almost immediately afterwards on his own account to begin work on his next solo album, "Je fais c’que j’veux." Once again, he headed out to Kingston, Jamaica, to work with his old friend, Clive Hunt. But he took a very different approach from his first album, arriving in Jamaica with his songs already written this time. Musically speaking, Pierpoljak’s second album was a pure reggae affair, but in terms of the lyrics "Je fais c’que j’veux" drew heavily on the singer’s own personal experiences with a number of openly autobiographical songs such as "Né dans les rues de Paris" (Born on the streets of Paris) and the first single release, "Dépareillé" (The odd one out).
This second album proved to be a huge hit, earning Pierpoljak a double gold disc in sales. But, unfortunately, the singer fell ill while he was out on the road promoting "Je fais c’que j’veux" and underwent a prolonged stay in hospital. At this point, Pierpoljak began seriously questioning whether he had any kind of future in the music business at all. Beset by doubts, he decided to take to the seas once again, setting sail from the Martinican capital Fort-de-France and stopping off at the Canaries and Cape Verde along the way. It was while enjoying another brief stop in Grenada (the Windward Islands) that Pierpoljak happened to hear a burst of local ragga playing on someone’s radio. The experience rekindled his musical spark and, after not picking up his guitar once in four months, the White Rasta was suddenly motivated to start singing and playing again.
Back in Paris, Pierpoljak surrounded himself with positive vibes and threw himself back into songwriting with a vengeance. This proved to be a highly productive period for the singer. Finally, at the beginning of 2003, Pierpoljak headed out to the Tuff Gong studios once again to begin work on a new album.
Resolutely roots
September 2003 saw the release of Pierpoljak’s fourth album, "Stim Turban." This was intended to be a resolutely authentic ‘roots’ affair with no added effects or embellishments. This time round, Pierpoljak did not work with producer Clive Hunt, but took care of everything himself (from the songwriting and the arrangements to the final mix). In the making of this fourth album, the French reggaeman worked with the ‘crème de la crème’ of Jamaican musicians, forming a band called Stim Turban - after whom this fourth album was named. Following the release of the album, "Général PK" embarked upon an intensive series of concerts and performed at a number of major French and international music festivals.
After a trip to Tahiti, Pierpoljak was invited to perform at the Reggae Donn Sa festival in Mauritius in August 2005. He returned to the Indian Ocean region in November of that year for a concert in La Réunion.
In January 2006, Pierpoljak took part in a special ‘Francophone reggae’ night organised at the Elysée-Montmartre, in Paris. On this occasion Pierpoljak shared the stage with the likes of Tonton David and the Ivorian reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly. And he teamed up with the latter for a live version of "Si Si", a duet which featured on his album "Je blesserai personne" released in March 2006.
Working with an artistic director for the first time in his career (despite the fact that he had publicly ridiculed the profession of artistic director on his hit "J'sais pas jouer"), Pierpoljak recorded a number of new songs for his new album in France with French musicians. Then he headed off to Jamaica, where he hooked up with producer Clive Hunt once again and worked in a recording studio owned by Shaggy. Pierpoljak’s new album, "Je blesserai personne", was much more musically diverse than his previous work and less obviously formatted Kingston reggae-style. In fact, "Je blesserai personne" seemed to mark a major turning-point in the French reggae singer’s career, its release coinciding with him cutting off his dreadlocks and breaking away from his Jamaican look.
Another Pierpoljak album, entitled "Chéper", was released later that same year and sold exclusively at the singer’s concerts and via his website. Meanwhile, Pierpoljak appeared on the reggae compilation "Il est cinq heures, Kingston s'éveille" (performing his own reggae-fied version of "J'ai encore rêvé d'elle" by the group Il était une fois). He also recorded a duet with the Japanese artist Tomuya which featured on Tomuya’s album "Un Japonais à Paris" (released in March 2007).
July 2007 saw the release of "Tuff Gong Blues", an album distributed in Germany but not in France. In fact, the album was released in Germany not under Pierpoljak’s name, but under the pseudonym Pekah. The songs on the album (almost all of them in English) had been recorded around the time of "Je fais c'que j'veux" and were produced by Clive Hunt. The majority of them were written by Doniki (a singer who appeared on Pierpoljak’s first Jamaican album in 1997). "Tuff Gong Blues" featured seven duets with Jamaican artists such as Horace Andy and Anthony B as well as an interesting reworking of Dennis Brown’s reggae classic "Money In My Pocket." Coinciding with the release of "Tuff Gong Blues" in Germany, Pierpoljak performed a concert in Berlin at the end of July
10 Millions De Glandeurs
Pierpoljak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elle est dédicacée pour tout les voyageur,
tous les glandeurs, tous les crotales, toutes les mygales
Actif, inactif, dans la ville où a la campagne
RMI ou CRS si tu ne donnes pas tes fesses
agite un peu tes mains dans la fumée
y'en aura pour tout les ages,
dédicacé pour 10 millions de glandeurs
10 millions 10 millions de glandeurs ca vous fait peur
10 millions 10millions de glandeurs
A l'heure, a laquelle je me suis levé il n'était plus question de penser au rendez-vous que j'avais pour un boulot de sauvage, en 180 n'avait d'stage
Mais pourtant dans un effort quasi surhumain,
je décroche mon téléphone d'une main et de l'autre je roule un djogo de taille allumette,
que je brûle pendant les quelques minutes que dure leur putain de plage musicale
Le téléphone hic!
10 millions 10 millions de glandeurs ca vous fait peur
10 millions 10millions de glandeurs
RMI ou CRS si tu ne donnes pas tes fesses
agite un peu tes mains dans la fumée
Chômage a tout les étages,
y'en aura pour tout les ages,
dédicacé pour 10 millions de glandeurs
Ca y est j'ai la fille du standard qui me dit comme quoi il est un peu tard pour pouvoir espéré avoir un boulot digne de ce nom
Il me plante sur un vieux chantier
à plus de 3 heures de transport de chez moi
et quand j'arrive là bas
Devine un peu ce que je vois:
La tête de con du chef qui me commande dirigé
D'aller nettoyer les vieux trucs dégelasses
La bas dans le coin, mais moi quand j'ai faim il m'arrive de bosser
1 semaine ou 2, caché derrière un container a fumé dla beu
10 millions 10 millions de glandeurs ca vous fait peur
10 millions 10millions de glandeurs
Mais surtout ne vous inquiétez pas l'état nous protèges
Il est la pour ca, il a même entamé un brin de lutte contre le chômedu, je l'ai vu l'autre jour a la télé
Les keums avait l'air si sérieux que ca me paraissait vrai, vrai
10 millions 10 millions de glandeurs ca vous fait peur
10 millions 10millions de glandeurs
RMI ou CRS si tu ne donnes pas tes fesses
agite un peu tes mains dans la fumée
Chômage a tout les étages,
y'en aura pour tout les ages,
dédicacé pour 10 millions de glandeurs
The lyrics of Pierpoljak's song "10 Millions De Glandeurs" are a dedication to all the lazy people have no real prospects in life. The song speaks about the many different types of idle people that exist, whether they are just inactive or jobless and living off government benefits. The singer talks about being unable to make it to his job interview and the disappointment he faces when he finally gets there.
The lyrics touch on themes of unemployment, government aid, and the general disinterest that many people have towards holding a job. The line "RMI ou CRS si tu ne donnes pas tes fesses agite un peu tes mains dans la fumée" translates to "whether you live off government benefits or get busted by the police, just let your hands dance in the smoke" alluding to the fact that no matter what the situation, there is always a way to avoid the responsibility of a job. The lyrics express disillusions with a society that does not provide equal opportunities or fairness to all.
Overall, the song speaks to a sense of resignation and dissatisfaction with the world around us. It highlights the sad reality that so many people are trapped in a cycle of poverty and unemployment, with no escape in sight.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh toi écoute celle la elle vient du fond de mon cœur
This song comes straight from my heart, so listen closely.
Elle est dédicacée pour tout les voyageur, tous les glandeurs, tous les crotales, toutes les mygales Actif, inactif, dans la ville où a la campagne
This song is dedicated to all the travelers, slackers, snakes, and spiders - whether you're active or inactive, in the city or in the countryside.
RMI ou CRS si tu ne donnes pas tes fesses agite un peu tes mains dans la fumée Chômage a tout les étages, y'en aura pour tout les ages, dédicacé pour 10 millions de glandeurs
Whether you're on welfare or getting harassed by police, if you're not willing to give in, at least wave your hands in the smoke. Unemployment affects everyone of all ages, and this song is dedicated to the 10 million slackers out there.
10 millions
10 millions de glandeurs ca vous fait peur 10 millions
10millions de glandeurs
10 million slacking individuals may sound scary, but they're out there.
A l'heure, a laquelle je me suis levé il n'était plus question de penser au rendez-vous que j'avais pour un boulot de sauvage, en 180 n'avait d'stage
Mais pourtant dans un effort quasi surhumain, je décroche mon téléphone d'une main et de l'autre je roule un djogo de taille allumette, que je brûle pendant les quelques minutes que dure leur putain de plage musicale Le téléphone hic!
Even though I had a job interview that day, I already knew it wasn't going to happen in this world. But still, I picked up the phone with one hand and rolled a spliff with the other, smoking it during their damn hold music. The phone disconnected before I could even talk to anyone.
Ca y est j'ai la fille du standard qui me dit comme quoi il est un peu tard pour pouvoir espéré avoir un boulot digne de ce nom
Il me plante sur un vieux chantier à plus de 3 heures de transport de chez moi et quand j'arrive là bas Devine un peu ce que je vois: La tête de con du chef qui me commande dirigé D'aller nettoyer les vieux trucs dégelasses La bas dans le coin, mais moi quand j'ai faim il m'arrive de bosser 1 semaine ou 2, caché derrière un container a fumé dla beu
The receptionist told me it was already too late to expect a decent job. Instead, they sent me to some old construction site three hours away from home. When I finally got there, guess who was waiting to boss me around? The idiotic boss wanted me to clean up some disgusting old things in the corner - but I'll work for some food, and I ended up hiding behind a container for a week or two, smoking weed.
Mais surtout ne vous inquiétez pas l'état nous protèges Il est la pour ca, il a même entamé un brin de lutte contre le chômedu, je l'ai vu l'autre jour a la télé Les keums avait l'air si sérieux que ca me paraissait vrai, vrai
But don't worry, the government is here to protect us - they've even started fighting against unemployment! I saw it on TV the other day and the guys looked so serious that it almost seemed true.
Contributed by Dylan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.