Abd Al Malik

Born in Paris, he grew up in a public housing project in Strasbourg (Neuhof). Today, he is one of the most prolific and revered French artists both in France and abroad, and is the only hip-hop artist to have won four consecutive Victoires de la Musique awards for each of his solo albums. In 2008, he was named Artist of the Year and was awarded the title of Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters. He regularly collaborates with artists as diverse as Juliette Gréco, Laurent Garnier, and Ahmad Jamal.

In August 2009, Jeune Afrique magazine named him one of “The 100 Most Important Figures of the African Diaspora.” The following year, his second book, *La guerre des banlieues n’aura pas lieu*, won the Edgar-Faure Prize for Political Literature, and he adapted his bestseller *Qu’Allah bénisse la France!* (May Allah Bless France), which earned two César Award nominations (2015) and received the International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI Prize, 2014) at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In 2013, at the request of Catherine Camus, he created and directed *L’Art & la Révolte* (inspired by *L’Envers et l’Endroit*) at the Grand Théâtre d’Aix during the centennial commemorations of Albert Camus’s birth. He toured this multifaceted production continuously for five years in France’s leading theaters.

His second solo album, *Gibraltar* (2006), powerfully addresses immigration and migration issues. Upon its release, it became a landmark in hip-hop, jazz, and French chanson. It is also considered, across all genres, one of the most important French albums of the past 15 years. ABD AL MALIK BIOGRAPHY In 2018, Abd Al Malik was appointed Artist-Ambassador by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, director of the Théâtre de la Ville, and, in addition to his role in developing projects, was entrusted with part of the theater’s programming.

In the spring of 2019, on the occasion of the exhibition *Le Modèle noir de Géricault à Matisse* at the Musée d’Orsay, Abd Al Malik presented a new show there, conceived with the Burkinabé choreographer Salia Sanou, following the release of a book and a new album titled—after a painting by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes— – *Le Jeune Noir à l’Épée*. Abd Al Malik’s new multidisciplinary work will be co-published by Présence Africaine, the Musée d’Orsay, and Flammarion. In October 2019, he directed Albert Camus’s *Les Justes* at the Théâtre du Châtelet, which was a resounding success with audiences. He also published *Méchantes Blessures* in 2019 with Plon for the fall literary season.

Furthermore, Abd Al Malik was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor by decree on December 31, 2019.

In January 2021, he published *Réconciliation* with Robert Laffont, a literary and political essay written during the first lockdown. He then created (wrote and directed) *Cités*, a series exploring French cultural heritage and youth. This first 12-episode miniseries, produced by Amazon Prime Video and available exclusively on TikTok, was an instant hit: it was viewed more than 30 million times in less than ten days on Gen Z’s favorite social media platform.

Finally, in 2024 at the Philharmonie de Paris, alongside choreographer Blanca Li and violinist David Grimal, Abd Al Malik presented *Notre Sacre*, a new interpretation of *The Rite of Spring* that emphasizes its universality and relevance, 111 years after its memorable premiere.

©Fabien Coste