Abd al Malik (rapper)
| Abd Al Malik | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Régis Fayette-Mikano |
| Born |
14 March 1975 Paris, France |
| Origin | Neuhof, Strasbourg |
| Genres | Rap |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, slam poet, songwriter, author, film director |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Atmosphériques |
| Associated acts | Wallen |
| Website | www |
Abd al Malik, born Régis Fayette-Mikano (born 14 March 1975 in Paris), 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.
Régis Fayette-Mikano was born in the 14th arrondissement in Paris in 1975, the son of a Congolese high-ranking official living in Paris. When he was just two, the family moved back to Brazzaville, Congo, where they lived from 1977 to 1981. Upon his return to France, he lived in lower income house projects (HLMs) in Neuhof in Strasbourg studying at Collège Sainte-Anne de Strasbourg. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother in a family of seven children. Despite suffering from dyslexia, he was part of the church choir. Delving for a while in petty street crimes, he was greatly affected by death of some of his friends and immersed himself in reading literature. A school teacher encouraged the young Régis for admission to private schools like the Lycée Notre-Dame des Mineurs, and eventually to Université Marc Bloch with a double major in Philosophy and Classical literature.
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. 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.
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Wikipedia