Black M

French-Guinean rapper Black M (short for Black Mesrimes) became well-loved and wildly successful through his work in rap collective Sexion d'Assaut as well as with multiple solo releases. His colorful personality, tongue-twisting lyrical style and humorous wordplay made albums like 2014's Les Yeux Plus Gros Que le Monde multi-platinum sellers. Black M was born Alpha Diallo in 1984. When he was 20, he joined the hip hop collective Sexion d'Assaut while the group was still in their early stages of development. Sexion d'Assaut released numerous mixtapes and independent releases during the 2000s prior to the release of their official debut and mainstream breakthrough, 2010's L'École des Points Vitaux. In addition to his work with Sexion d'Assaut, Diallo released the collaborative EP Le Pacte (credited to Bakry et Black Mesrimes) in 2006, and appeared on singles by DJ Abdel and Major Lazer. Black M's debut solo album, Les Yeux Plus Gros Que le Monde arrived on Wati-B in March of 2014, and was an enormous success; the album went quadruple platinum, and every track other than the intro and interlude charted in the French singles chart, including the number one smash "Sur Ma Route." The album was reissued later in the year as Le Monde Plus Gros Que Mes Yeux, and included a bonus disc with eight additional tracks. Live album Les Yeux Plus Gros Que l'Olympia followed in 2015, and was available both as an audio CD/download or a DVD. Diallo's heavily anticipated second studio album, Éternal Insatisfait, arrived in 2016. The album was partially written as a reaction to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. However, it also had an optimistic, party-ready vibe to it. The album included guest appearances by Shakira (on "Comme Moi") as well as Manu Dibango and Amadou & Mariam (on bonus track "Je Suis Chez Moi [African Version]"). In September of 2019, Black M returned with third album Il Etait Une Fois... The album moved even further in a pop direction, with melodic, upbeat songwriting and bright instrumentation serving as a backdrop for Black M's singing and rapping. ~ Paul Simpson