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Abd Al Malik | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Abd al Malik at the 2025 Malaga French Film Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Régis Fayette-Mikano Paris, France |
| Origin | Neuhof, Strasbourg |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper,slam poet,songwriter, author, film director |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Atmosphériques |
Spouse | |
Abd al Malik, bornRégis Fayette-Mikano is a Frenchrapper andspoken word artist ofCongolese origin. He has also authored books in French, and directed a film adaptation of one of his books.
Talented in words and music, he formed with his brother Bilal and his cousin Aissa, a rap group they calledNew African Poets, also known by the abbreviationN.A.P.[1] Other members included Mustapha, Mohammed and Karim, all from the neighborhood where he lived. Most of the group come from theNeuhof quartier ofStrasbourg.
Having converted from Christianity toIslam, he took on thestage name Abd al Malik. This was an adaptation of his birth name Régis, being derived fromrex meaning "king" inLatin whereasMalik means "king" inArabic.
NAP released their first maxiTrop beau pour être vrai, produced by Sulee B, on High Skills, a label founded by Deez Nutz to promote local Neuhof hip hop talents. In 1996, they released the albumLa Racaille sort 1 also on High Skills, selling over 25,000 copies. Based on this, NAP were signed to BMG, and their 1998 albumLa Fin du monde with participations fromWallen, Rockin Squat (from Assassin), Radical Kicker, Shurik'n, Freeman (fromIAM), Rocca and Faf Larage. A third album followed in 1999 calledÀ l'intérieur de nous also with BMG.
Abd al Malik has been very active in writing as well. In 2004, he published his autobiographical bookQu'Allah bénisse la France (meaning May Allah bless France), about his childhood inNeuhof in a mono-parental family of seven kids, about his schooling, tough life and musical beginning. The book won Belgian Laurence Trân Prize in 2005.[2]
In 2009, and following trouble in the French suburbs, he authoredLa guerre des banlieues n'aura pas lieu about life in the impoverished Frenchbanlieues inhabited largely by France's immigrant populations. The book won the Prix de littérature politique Edgar-Faure, a prize for political literature in 2010.
In 2013, he published a book,L'Islam au secours de la République.
He also announced that a film was in preparation titledMay Allah Bless France! (Qu'Allah bénisse la France), based on his autobiographical book of same title.[3] The film premiered at the Festival du Film Francophone d'Angoulême in August 2014, and won theFIPRESCI Discovery Prize at the2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[4]
In 2013, he engaged in a tour entitledL'art et la révolte, a tribute to the famous French writer and philosopherAlbert Camus. It is a musical arrangement in which Abd al Malik sings, raps and recites texts from Camus or largely inspired by Camus, accompanied by classical orchestra[5][6] mostly based on Camus'L'Envers et l'Endroit (English titleBetwixt and Between).[7]
In 1998, Régis Fayette-Mikano married FrenchMoroccan singerWallen, with whom he had a child in 2001. The following year, he converted toIslam taking the name Abd al Malik. He is greatly influenced by teachings ofHamza al Qâdiri al Boutchichi, a Moroccan spiritual leader and philosopher ofQadiriyyaSufism.[8]
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR [9] | BEL (Wa) | SWI | |||
| 2004 | Le face à face des cœurs | 155 | – | – | |
| 2006 | Gibraltar | 13 | 50 | 97 | |
| 2008 | Dante | 11 | 48 | 66 | |
| 2011 | Château rouge | 22 | 70 | – | |
| 2015 | Scarifications | 61 | 108 | – | |
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR [9] | BEL (Wa) | |||
| 2011 | "Mon amour" (feat.Wallen) | 67 | 2 (Ultratip) | Château Rouge |
| New award | Victoires de la Musique Urban music album of the year Gibraltar by Abd Al Malik 2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Victoires de la Musique Male group or artist of the year 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Victoires de la Musique Urban music album of the year Dante by Abd Al Malik 2009 | Succeeded by L'arme de paix byOxmo Puccino |
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