Orelsan is a French hardcore rapper whose full-length debut, the hit album Perdu d'Avance (2009), was the subject of much controversy, with many critics likening him to Eminem. Born Aurélien Cotentin in Caen, France, he listened to rock music as a youth but gravitated toward rap music as he grew older. He made his recording debut in the mid-2000s with a series of underground singles released online; in particular, he used the popular video-sharing websites to release early singles such as "Ramen" (2006) and "Saint-Valentin" (2007). Orelsan later became the subject of much controversy when French politicians of both the right and left wing joined together in their condemnation of the violence and misogyny expressed in his lyrics.