Abd al Malik

Abd al Malik, born Régis Fayette-Mikano on 14 March 1975 in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, is a French rapper, singer-songwriter, writer, director, filmmaker and screenwriter. In 1988, together with his elder brother Bilal and his cousin Aissa, he founded the rap group New African Poets (abbreviated N.A.P.). Abd al Malik chose his conversion and stage name in reference to his own birth name (Regis - "of the king" in Latin - corresponding to the Arabic word Malik: "king").

In 2004, Abd al Malik released his debut solo album, Le Face à face des cœurs, which reached number 155 on the French charts. That same year, Abd al Malik published the autobiographical account Qu'Allah bénisse la France, in which he explains his journey and advocates a thoughtful Islam, one of tolerance and a desire for integration. The book won the 2005 Prix Laurence Trân in Belgium and was adapted by the rapper for film in 2014.

In 2006, he released his second album, Gibraltar, which reached number 13 on the French charts.

In November 2007, he presented a new project, the collective Béni-Snassen made up of New African Poets (NAP), Wallen, Bil'in, Hamcho, Matteo Falkone and himself, dedicated to fighting illiteracy; the collective released an album titled Spleen et Idéal the following year, in 2008. In November 2015, he released his fifth album, Scarifications, produced entirely by Laurent Garnier.