We've been hearing the sound of their voice for over twenty-five years. Jacky and Ben-J, childhood friends, one from Cape Verde, the other from Congo, grew up in the Paris suburb of Garges-les-Gonesse (95). In the early 90s, at the age of 13, they tried their hand at music, inspired by their elders Ministère A.M.E.R (Stomy and Passi), Deenastyle on Radio Nova, and Rapline on M6. Their lyrics are as committed as the American hip-hop scene with the group Public Enemy, and they're not indifferent to the politics of apartheid in South Africa.
"We talked about our lives. We were proud of our Afro identity. We also talked about politics, the repressive system, police blunders." Their stage name signals this spirit of revolt.
"The Neg'marron was the rebel slave, a resister, unsubmissive in the face of the oppressor, he put his life on the line to regain his freedom, and never lost sight of his goals." - Ben-J of the Nèg' Marrons
Highly influential since the late 90s, authors of numerous classics and committed artists, the Nèg' Marrons embody festive, inspiring music. Revealed by their single "La Monnaie", the title track of the 1995 film Raï, they were soon signed by the major Sony Music.
Eminent artistic personalities representing the reggae branch of the Secteur Ä collective, they enjoyed unprecedented success with their first album, "Rue case nègre", which went gold on its release in 1997. Subsequently, the 2 mates multiplied their activities as producers, setting up the "Première Classe" label (PC1, PC2, Pit Baccardi, Tandem, Jalane...), the "Couvre feu" radio show on Skyrock hosted by Jacky Brown, and the multiple gold disc collective "Bisso na Bisso", of which Ben-j is a member. From Reggae to Hip Hop, to the most famous featurings (Wyclef Jean, Cesaria Evora, Tonton David, Amadouet Mariam, AlphaBlondy...), the best of their repertoire counts numerous gold and platinum certifications.