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Rapper MHD has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a young man.
The BBC reports that the 29-year-old, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, was found guilty of involvement in the gang-related murder of 23-year-old Loic K in Paris in 2018.
The French court heard the victim was hit by MHD’s car, a Mercedes, before being beaten and stabbed by a group of up to 12 people. MHD had entered a “not guilty” plea in the indictment. Five of his co-defendants were also convicted and three others were acquitted.
The AFP news agency reports that MHD told the court: “I have maintained my innocence in this case from the beginning and will continue to maintain my innocence.” He said he was not at the crime scene and that the charges against him were suspended rumors. Part of the evidence against him was footage filmed by a local resident through the window of his house, while MHD was identified by other witnesses.
MHD has a large following on social media and is known for developing the idea of “Afro Trap” – a mix of trap music and the sounds of West Africa. He was previously part of the rap collective 1.9 Reseaux.
Over the last decade, he has found success by publishing material on social media and videos on YouTube. In 2016 he released his debut album – MHD sold 200,000 copies in six months. He has been in custody since his arrest in 2019.