MHD (rapper)

Mohamed Sylla (born 10 September 1994), better known by his stage name MHD, is a Guinean-French rapper based in Paris, who is known for blending trap music with music of Africa; a genre he coined as "Afro Trap". He was previously part of the rap collective 1.9 Réseaux.

Born in Vendée to a family of West African extraction, MHD began his career as a rapper in Paris at the age of 18. He found success in the mid-2010s through material he published on social media (notably music videos on YouTube) and in 2016 released his debut album MHD, which sold more than 200,000 copies in 6 months. He later received international recognition, and toured in Guinea, England, Senegal and Morocco. His second album, titled 19, was released in September 2018, and he released his third album Mansa in July 2021.

In January 2019, MHD was arrested and charged with second-degree murder following investigation into the case of a young man who was beaten to death in the streets of Paris. He was remanded in custody for 18 months, and in 2023 was convicted of murder and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Claiming his innocence, he appealed the verdict and was released from prison in February 2024. His trial in the appellate court is pending.

Early life
Mohamed Sylla was born in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée, France) of a Senegalese mother and a Guinean father; later in life, he moved to the 19th arrondissement of Paris. As a child, he and his family would often listen to music from Africa; he cites Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Salif Keita and Awilo Longomba as influences. His cousin Gazo is also a rapper.

As an adult, before reaching fame, MHD was delivering pizza, then worked as a waiter in a luxury restaurant in the 6th arrondissement; MHD has since talked about this experience, and the casual racism he was subjected to by the patrons. After getting his BEP restauration (French foodservice qualification) he began considering a career in the catering industry.

2012–2016: The rise of "Afro Trap"
In 2012, aged 18, Sylla a.k.a. "MHD" (a stage name derived from his first name Mohamed) joined 1.9 Réseaux, a rap collective in the 19th arrondissement. After years of spending time and money trying to make a breakthrough, he eventually quit the gangsta rap scene.

In August 2015, while on vacation, MHD posted a video on the Internet, of himself doing a freestyle over a song by Nigerian band P-Square. The video, which he said he did "just for fun", was received with success on social media, and the positive feedback inspired him to make a comeback into music. However, he had been disappointed with the world of French-language rap from his previous experience, judging there was too much influence from American trends. Taking from his parents' West African roots, he decided to provide diversity to the genre by adding cultural elements of this region into his music, such as musical genres, or singing verses in languages like Fula or Bambara. He coined this newfound genre as "Afro Trap".

Back from vacation, MHD began filming a music video for his freestyle song in his housing estate of the 19th arrondissement. Released in September 2015, the video, titled ''Afro Trap Part. 1 (La Moula)'' and featuring local youths dancing in the streets, garnered popularity on YouTube, prompting him to release more songs and videos. ''Afro Trap Part. 3 (Champions League)'', a song praising football club Paris Saint-Germain, is considered a breakthrough in MHD's music career, with the song and its dance moves becoming popular with supporters –and later, players– of the club. Soon, he was invited to perform opening acts for French rapper Booba, was featured in the soundtrack of the film Pattaya, and was invited to the Élysée –the French presidential palace– by then-President François Hollande on the occasion of a visit by Guinean President Alpha Condé.

2016–2018: Studio career
His first studio album, named after his stage name, MHD, was released on 15 April 2016. It includes six parts of his Afro Trap series and songs featuring Fally Ipupa and Angélique Kidjo. The album sold more than 200,000 copies in less than six months, earning a double platinum certification in France.

He made successful tours in Europe and Africa, and became an ambassador for clothing brand Puma.

In September 2018, while preparing the release of his second studio album 19, MHD stated on social media that he had become disillusioned with the music industry and that he might retire after the release of the album. His second album, titled "19" (a reference to the 19th arrondissement where he used to live) was released on 19 September 2018, including collaborations with artists such as Salif Keita, Dadju, Orelsan and Nigerian pop star Wizkid; as of 2019, it sold more than 75,000 copies.

In 2018, MHD made his film debut starring in Mon frère (My Brother), a French drama directed by Julien Abraham. The film follows the story of Teddy (played by MHD) a young man who gets sent to a youth detention center after being accused of the murder of his abusive father. Mon frère was released in theaters in July 2019, while MHD was remanded in custody and charged with murder.

2021-present: Return to music
In May 2021, MHD released Afro Trap Pt. 11 (King Kong), his first song since his release from detention. On 16 July 2021, he released his third album Mansa, including songs featuring artists Tiakola, Naira Marley and Adekunle Gold.

In September 2021, MHD collaborated with Argentine producer Bizarrap, and was featured in a music session.

Criticism of police misconduct
In October 2018, MHD uploaded a video on social media in which two young men –one of which was described by MHD as his "big brother"– appeared to be victims of police misconduct. The video prompted investigation from the General Inspectorate of the National Police, or IGPN, the branch of the French police responsible for internal affairs. A spokesperson for the French police declared that the officers were responding to "threats" coming from the youths in the video.

Murder conviction
In January 2019, his name was cited in an investigation into a murder case, dating back to July 2018, when a 23-year-old man was beaten and stabbed to death in the streets of Paris by several youths, in the context of what has been reported as a fight between rival street gangs. Through images collected by surveillance cameras, French police found that assailants used a car owned by MHD; they later named MHD as a suspect himself. MHD was put on custody on 15 January 2019; two days later, he was indicted and charged with second-degree murder.

Following his arrest, some of his scheduled concerts were postponed indefinitely, while several fellow rappers, including Naza and Black M, voiced their support for MHD.

Investigators judged that he seemed to appear in the surveillance images, as well as his car, and he was also identified by several witnesses. Speaking through his lawyer, MHD denied any involvement in the crime, and during trial he would claim he was unaware of his car being used for criminal activities. His lawyer cited his lack of a judicial record, and added that she would appeal MHD being put on custody.

In March 2020, while MHD was remanded in custody in La Santé, his lawyer stated that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently requested for MHD to be released under supervision. The request was rejected.

In July 2020, after being detained on remand for 18 months, MHD was released under judicial supervision. A three-week trial occurred in September 2023, which resulted in his conviction on September 23 for murder, and a sentence of 12 years in prison. Five of his eight co-defendants were also convicted and given sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years, while the other three co-defendants were acquitted.

MHD, who has claimed his innocence since his arrest, appealed the verdict, and was released in February 2024 while pending the decision of the court of appeal.

Filmography

 * Mon frère (2019) by Julien Abraham – as Teddy