Pierre-Mathieu Vilmet (; born September 7, 1964 in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
), professionally known as Pierpoljak, is a French reggae and pop singer.
Biography
Pierre Vilmet was born in Paris and grew up in the Parisian suburbs, first in
Savigny-sur-Orge
Savigny-sur-Orge (, literally ''Savigny on Orge'') is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 19.1 km (11.9 mi) from the center of Paris in the département of Essonne.
During the 2005 civil unrest in France ...
and then in Colombes. At the end of the 1970s, he played drums with the punk group ''Samu 92'', who nicknamed him "Pierrot le Fou".
In 1978, he went to London to meet his favorite groups, like Sham 69 or
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver were an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, in 1976. Originally a punk band, Skrewdriver changed into a white supremacist rock band after reuniting in the 1980s. Their original l ...
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
. In 1995, after several prison stretches, then based in the department of
Nièvre
Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.Barclay record label noticed him and produced his first album, entitled ''Pierpoljak''.
One year later, in the Barclay premises, Clive Hunt offered him a stay in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
so as to record a remix of the song ''La Music'', released on his first album. Pierre's second album, entitled ''Jamaican Rides'', was released in 1996.
Pierre, nicknamed Pékah at the time, again chose the option of the studios at the beginning of 1997, so as to record his third opus, ''Kingston Karma''. This album was a success and sold more than 350 000 copies.
His fourth solo album, ''Je fais c'que j'veux'', was released in 2000 and was awarded with a double-gold. He won
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...
in 2001 thanks to his song ''Maman''.
During his concerts, many incidents were reported due to the singer's and the musicians' violence.
The fall
In 2001, Pierpoljak fell ill. Following an intensive consumption of different substances such as
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
, a first
pneumothorax
A pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve i ...
appeared in his left lung. After a stay at the hospital, he went to New Caledonia for a festival. Soon after his arrival, he was arrested by the local police for having assaulted a stewardess during the flight. During his return to France, he contracted a new pneumothorax. In total, he had four stays at the hospital and underwent two operations.
Then, he decided to leave for the Canary Islands and Cape Verde aboard his sailboat, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to reach
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
. This trip lasted nearly three years.
Comeback
Back in France, Pierpoljak began to compose his fifth solo album, ''Stim urban'', which was released during the summer of 2003. In March 2006, his sixth solo album, ''Je blesserai personne'', was released; during the composition of this album, Pierpoljak was helped by the Jamaican musician
Elephant Man
Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...
.
The following year, he released (under the pseudonym Pékah) ''Tuff Gong Blues'', an album recorded in 2000, simultaneously with ''Je fais c'que j'veux''. This album was composed by the Jamaican singer Doniki and his musicians. Soon after its release, ''Tuff Gong Blues'' was banned due to copyright issues with the lyricist and the musicians of the album, but also because of publication rights issues with the Barclay record label.
Pierpoljak's eighth solo album, ''Légendaire Sérénade'', was released at the beginning of 2010. The following year, in September 2011, a best-of of Pierpoljak's works was released by
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
.
Pierpoljak released the album, entitled ''Général Indigo'', on March 2, 2015, followed by ''Chapeau de Paille'' in 2017.