Orelsan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orelsan
Orelsan in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Aurélien Cotentin
Also known as	Orel Aurél RaelSan Jimmy Punchline
Born	(1982-08-01) 1 August 1982 (age 42) Alençon, Normandy, France
Origin	Caen, Normandy, France
Genres	French hip hop
Occupations	Rapper songwriter record producer actor director
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2002–present
Labels	7th Magnitude Wagram

Orelsan, whose real name is Aurélien Cotentin, is a famous French rapper, songwriter, and actor. He was born on August 1, 1982. Orelsan has released four popular studio albums: Perdu d'avance (2009), Le chant des sirènes (2011), La fête est finie (2017), and Civilisation (2021).

He is also part of a French hip hop duo called Casseurs Flowters with his friend Gringe. Together, they have released two studio albums and the soundtrack for their film Comment c'est loin.

Many people see Orelsan as one of the most important French songwriters of his time. He is great at mixing humor and irony with serious topics. This helps him connect with people of all ages, not just rap fans. Some people compare his rapping style to the American rapper Eminem because they are both known for mixing funny and serious topics.

His album La fête est finie sold over a million copies in France, which is a huge success! His latest album Civilisation was the best-selling album in France for two years in a row (2021 and 2022).

In 2022, the French government honored Orelsan with a special award, making him a "Knight of Arts and Letters". This was to celebrate his amazing work in music and how he has helped French art become known worldwide.

Life and Career Highlights

Early Life and Music Beginnings (1982–2003)

Aurélien Cotentin was born on August 1, 1982, in Alençon, France. He grew up there with his parents, who were both teachers. When he was young, he liked rock music, manga, and comics. He started loving rap music through his friends while playing basketball.

After finishing high school, he moved to Caen to study at a business school. He graduated in 2004. During college, he became friends with Skread, a record producer who had worked with other famous rappers. Orelsan also started working with Gringe and formed the duo Casseurs Flowters with him in 2004.

Orelsan spent a year studying at the University of Tampa in Florida, USA. This trip inspired him to write the song "50 pour cent". In 2002, he released a mixtape and was asked to contribute to other music collections. When he returned to France, he worked night shifts at a hotel, which gave him time to write more songs.

Starting His Solo Career (2004–2010)

Orelsan in 2009.

In 2004, Orelsan and Gringe officially formed their hip hop duo, Casseurs Flowters. With help from producer Skread, they released their first mixtape, Fantasy: Episode 1, which had 11 songs. After this, they decided to focus on their own solo music careers for a while.

In August 2006, Orelsan shared his first music video, "Ramen", on YouTube. In 2007, he released another video called "Saint-Valentin". This song was a funny take on Valentine's Day and became very popular. This encouraged him to share more of his music online through YouTube and Myspace.

In 2008, a record label called 3e Bureau noticed his work. They offered him a chance to create an album with 7th Magnitude, a label started by Skread. In the summer of 2008, he promoted his first single, "Changement", which was released on October 13, 2008. Its music video was Orelsan's first professionally made video.

On February 16, 2009, Orelsan released his first album, Perdu d'avance. This album, produced by Skread, had 14 songs. "Changement" was the main single. Other popular songs included "Perdu d'avance", "50 pour cent", and "Soirée ratée". Music videos were made for all these songs. The song "Entre bien et mal" featured his Casseurs Flowters partner Gringe. At the end of 2009, Orelsan was nominated for the Prix Constantin award. He also won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best French Act, beating out popular artist David Guetta.

In 2010, Orelsan also worked with The Toxic Avenger on an extended play (EP) called N'importe comment. He also collaborated with Nessbeal on the song "Ma grosse" and was part of a project called Diversidad, which brought together rappers from different European countries.

Growing Fame with Le chant des sirènes (2011–2012)

On May 30, 2011, Orelsan released "RaelSan", the first single from his second album. The second single, "Double vie", was released on YouTube and Skyrock on June 9.

His second album, Le chant des sirènes, came out on September 26, 2011. It had 16 songs, including popular ones like the title track "Le chant des sirènes", "Mauvaise idée", and "Finir mal". Later, "La terre est ronde" and "Ils sont cools" (featuring Gringe) were also released as singles. The album received good reviews and quickly became very successful. It was certified gold in France just one month after its release, selling over 50,000 copies. In 2012, it was certified platinum, selling over 100,000 copies. The album reached number 3 on the French music charts.

On March 3, 2012, Orelsan won two awards at the Victoires de la Musique, which are like the French Grammy Awards. He won for "Urban Album of the Year" for Le chant des sirènes and for "Group or Artist Popular Revelation of the Year", which was chosen by the public.

Casseurs Flowters Return and Film Success (2013–2017)

In 2013, Orelsan's fame continued to grow. He was nominated for "Male Artist of the Year" at the Victoires de la Musique and won "Songwriter of the Year". He also received nominations at the NRJ Music Award and Trace Urban Music Awards.

After the success of his solo album, Orelsan reunited with Gringe as Casseurs Flowters. They released their first single, "Bloqué", on July 3, 2013. Their album, Orelsan et Gringe sont les Casseurs Flowters, was released on November 15, 2013. It included popular songs like "Regarde comme il fait beau (dehors)" and "La mort du disque". The album was certified gold in France in 2014.

On March 21, 2015, Orelsan hinted on Instagram that he and Gringe were working on a film. On May 4, he confirmed that filming was done and the movie would be called Comment c'est loin.

On October 29, 2015, Orelsan and Gringe released "À l'heure où je me couche" as a single from the film's soundtrack. Both the film and the soundtrack were released on December 9. The soundtrack was certified platinum in France in January 2017.

In April 2017, Orelsan announced that he was working on his third solo album. On September 20, 2017, he released the first single, "Basique", along with its music video. The video also announced that his new album would be released on October 20, 2017. Two days later, he revealed the album's name: La fête est finie. When it was released, the album was a huge success. It was certified gold in just three days and platinum within a week!

Civilisation and More Awards (2021–Present)

Orelsan's fourth studio album, Civilisation, was released on November 19, 2021. It was mainly produced by his long-time friend Skread and featured guest appearances by Gringe and The Neptunes. Important singles from this album include L'odeur de l'essence, "Jour meilleur", and "La quête".

The album had a record-breaking start on the French Albums Chart, selling more copies than any other album in 2021. It reached number 1 in France and Belgium and number 2 in Switzerland. It was certified diamond in France within five months, becoming the fastest rap album in French history to achieve this.

According to the SNEP, Civilisation was the best-selling album in France for two years in a row, in 2021 and 2022.

On February 11, 2022, Orelsan won three awards at the Victoires de la Musique ceremony. He won "Male Artist of the Year", "Original Song of the Year" for L'odeur de l'essence, and "Video of the Year" for "Montre jamais ça à personne". This video was part of a documentary about Orelsan directed by his younger brother, Clément Cotentin. In November 2022, Orelsan also won two awards at the NRJ Music Award: "Francophone Male Artist of the Year" and "Francophone Tour of the Year".

In February 2023, Orelsan won three more awards at the Victoires de la Musique. He won "Concert of the Year" for his Civilisation tour, "Original Song of the Year" for "La Quête", and "Music Video of the Year" for "La Quête". By 2023, Orelsan has won a total of twelve awards at the Victoires de la Musique. This means he has won more awards than French music legends Johnny Hallyday and Alain Souchon, who each had 10 trophies.

Discography

Orelsan with Gringe and Ablaye at the Festival des Vieilles Charrues in 2014

Studio Albums

• Perdu d'avance (2009)
• Le chant des sirènes (2011)
• La fête est finie (2017)
• Civilisation (2021)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also