Abd Al Malik
Background information
Birth nameRégis Fayette-Mikano
BornParis, France
OriginNeuhof, Strasbourg
GenresRap
Occupation(s)Rapper, slam poet, songwriter, author, film director
Years active1988–present
LabelsAtmosphériques

Abd al Malik, born Régis Fayette-Mikano is a French rapper and spoken word artist of Congolese origin. He has also authored books in French, and directed a film adaptation of one of his books.

Musical career

In NAP: New African Poets

Talented in words and music, he formed with his brother Bilal and his cousin Aissa, a rap group they called New African Poets also known by the abbreviation N.A.P.[1] Other members included Mustapha, Mohammed and Karim, all from the neighborhood where he lived. Most of the group come from the Neuhof quartier of Strasbourg.

Having converted from Christianity to Islam, he took on the stage name Abd al Malik. This was an adaptation of his birth name Régis, being derived from rex meaning "king" in Latin whereas Malik means "king" in Arabic.

NAP released their first maxi Trop 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 album La Racaille sort 1 also on High Skills, selling over 25,000 copies. Based on this, NAP were signed to BMG, and their 1998 album La Fin du monde with participations from Wallen, Rockin Squat (from Assassin), Radical Kicker, Shurik'n, Freeman (from IAM), Rocca and Faf Larage. A third album followed in 1999 called À l'intérieur de nous also with BMG.

Writing career

Abd al Malik has been very active in writing as well. In 2004, he published his autobiographical book Qu'Allah bénisse la France (meaning May Allah bless France), about his childhood in Neuhof 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 authored La guerre des banlieues n'aura pas lieu about life in the impoverished French banlieues 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 titled May 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 the FIPRESCI Discovery Prize at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[4]

Theatre

In 2013, he engaged in a tour entitled L'art et la révolte, a tribute to the famous French writer and philosopher Albert 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 title Betwixt and Between).[7]

Personal life

In 1998, Régis Fayette-Mikano married French Moroccan singer Wallen, with whom he had a child in 2001. The following year, he converted to Islam taking the name Abd al Malik. He is greatly influenced by teachings of Hamza al Qâdiri al Boutchichi, a Moroccan spiritual leader and philosopher of Qadiriyya Sufism.[8]

Books and publications

  • 2004: Qu'Allah bénisse la République, 208 pages, Éditions Albin Michel
  • 2009: La guerre des banlieues n'aura pas lieu, 180 pages, Éditions Le Cherche midi 180 p.
  • 2011: Le dernier français
  • 2013: L'Islam au secours de la République
  • 2015: Place de la République
  • 2016: Camus, l'art de la révolte, Éditions Fayard
  • 2021: Réconciliation

Discography

Albums

Albums with NAP
  • 1996: La racaille sort 1 disque
  • 1998: La fin du monde
  • 1999: À l'intérieur de nous
  • 2008: Un monde perdu (compilation)
Solo albums
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  –

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
FR
[9]		 BEL
(Wa)
2011 "Mon amour"
(feat. Wallen)		 67 2
(Ultratip)		 Château Rouge

Filmography

  • 2014: Qu'Allah benisse la France

References

  1. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "Biography: Abd Al Malik". AMG. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Fondation Laurence Trân - Palmarès - 2005 Archived 23 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ 20 minutes: Abd al Malik - Le slameur va adapter son ouvrage Qu'Allah bénisse la France pour le cinéma (in French)
  4. ↑ 'Beats of the Antonov,' 'May Allah Bless France' Take Honors at 2014 Toronto International Film Festival Archived 28 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Indiewire, September 15, 2014.
  5. ↑ ARTe: Abd al Malik chante Camus (in French)
  6. ↑ Les Théàtres: L'art et la révolte (librement inspiré d'Albert Camus Archived 15 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Le Parisien: Abd al Malik slame Albert Camus Archived 19 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  8. ↑ "Sufism by French rapper Abd Al Malik - News - MirrorFootball.co.uk". 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Abd al Malik discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  10. ↑ "French album certifications" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
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