MHD was given a 12-year prison term on Saturday for the 2018 killing of a young man in Paris who was hit by a car and then stabbed by a mob.
In addition, five of his co-defendants were found guilty of murder and given prison terms ranging from 10 to 18 years for what the prosecution claimed was a fight between rival gangs. Three more people were found not guilty.
MHD rose to fame in 2015 as the originator of afro-trap, a blend of hip-hop and African customs, following his viral success.
In January 2019, the 29-year-old, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, was taken into custody and charged with murder. After he was freed from detention after serving a year and a half in jail while investigations were ongoing, a new album was released.
Several ladies in the public gallery sobbed when the decision was revealed on Saturday; MHD calmly hugged one of them.
All those found guilty notwithstanding their pleas of not guilty have 10 days to seek an appeal.
MHD repeated his plea of innocence during his last address to the court before its retreat to deliver its decision following three weeks of consideration.
MHD told the court,
“I have maintained my innocence in this case from the beginning, and I will continue to maintain my innocence.”
The prosecutor had asked for two of the defendants to be found not guilty, a penalty of 13 to 20 years in jail for the other defendants, and an 18-year prison sentence for the rapper.
In a seedy area of the 10th arrondissement of the French capital, Loic K, 23, was struck by a black Mercedes on the evening of July 5, 2018, and was afterward attacked and stabbed by about a dozen others.
The rapper denied being there, but a local caught the event on camera from his window, and MHD’s Mercedes was quickly recognized.
Investigative materials accessed by AFP claim that other witnesses recognized him by his hairstyle or a Puma sweater, for which he served as a brand ambassador.
The automobile was found abandoned and on fire in a parking lot one day after the murder.
“A legal reality surfaced in spite of the law of quiet,” said Juliette Chapelle, a victim’s family lawyer.
The former pizza delivery driver continued to frequent the low-income estate in the neighborhood, Cite des Chaufourniers, even after becoming well-known. This is where the killing took place.
The football-obsessed musician, whose parents are Guinean and Senegalese, was born in France. His most well-known song is “Afro Trap Part 3 (Champions League),” which is a tribute to the Paris Saint-Germain football team.
Madonna and Drake, among other worldwide celebrities, had showered him with praise.
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