Photo: GrechPhoto / Michael Grech · CC BY 2.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
DJ Mehdi
Person · male · France · Asnières-sur-Seine · born 1977 · died 2011 · recording since 2002
French-Tunisian DJ and music producer (1977–2011)
streamingstreamingstreamingstreamingstreamingticketsdatabasedatabasedatabasedatabasedatabase
Listen on SpotifyYouTube Music
Also known as DJ Medhi · DJメディ · Idhem · Mehdi Faveris-Essadi
Timeline
7 events▣ Album 4◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1970s
2000s
· Debut release
Debut release: About Me
First documented Single in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2010s
Biography
English biography827 words · 6 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1374670938
Biography
Mehdi Favéris-Essadi (20 January 1977 – 13 September 2011), better known by his stage name DJ Mehdi, was a French-Tunisian hip hop and house music producer and DJ. He was signed to the label Ed Banger Records, founded by his friend Pedro Winter, in which he released in 2006 his album Lucky Boy
Lucky BoySpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Busy Being Born3:142I Am Somebody3:093Signatune1:044Boggin'3:345Always Be an Angel3:176Pony Rocking2:447Saharian Break3:038Lucky Boy4:049Wee Bounce2:2810Leave It Alone4:0411Hot-O-Momo3:3812Constellation1:3813Love Bombing4:0714[untitled]7:01, also the label's debut album.
Biography
Mehdi was born of French and Tunisian background in Hauts-de-Seine, the northwestern suburbs of Paris. He was a former disc jockey of the groups Different Teep (ex-group of Manu Key and Lil Jahson), Idéal J and former member of the collective the Mafia K'1 Fry. He was also a long time the quasi-appointed producer of the group 113 and carried out nearly all the production of the albums for Different Teep and Karlito. Amid his work, Mehdi had remixed various electronic acts and composition soundtracks for many French and international films.
After having been recognized for his efforts and budding into one of the French underground hip hop music scene's premier producers, DJ Mehdi pushed boundaries by mixing hip hop and electronic music. He collaborated with such notable artists as Daft Punk, Cassius, MC Solaar, Futura 2000, Asian Dub Foundation and Chromeo among others.
Signing to cross-genre label Ed Banger Records, Mehdi and Pedro Winter (a.k.a. Busy P) were working on various disco-hop sounds starting in 1997. Together they hosted a very successful monthly night at former Paris nightspot Pulp. About his experience at the club he stated, "I like to be the DJ, I love it so much. I love to try new things. You would never get into this business to be bored, or you would hope not."
Mehdi released his first full-length LP in 2002, The Story of Espion, followed by his second album, Lucky BoyLucky BoySpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Busy Being Born3:142I Am Somebody3:093Signatune1:044Boggin'3:345Always Be an Angel3:176Pony Rocking2:447Saharian Break3:038Lucky Boy4:049Wee Bounce2:2810Leave It Alone4:0411Hot-O-Momo3:3812Constellation1:3813Love Bombing4:0714[untitled]7:01, in August 2006. The popularity of cross genre hip hop into such areas as indie and electronic music, popularization by Timbaland and other labels from the United States in more recent years helped to bridge the gap between dance genres.
Mehdi's single "I Am Somebody
I Am SomebodySpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1I Am Somebody (Paris version)3:092I Am Somebody (Montréal version)3:593Leave It Alone4:054Tales of Tomorrow3:445I Am Somebody (K-Dope dub)4:196I Am Somebody (Kenny Dope Old Skool remix)3:577I Am Somebody (Kenny Dope Old Skool instrumental remix)3:57" was used in a 2007 American commercial for XM Radio. Prior to his death, DJ Mehdi was part of a group of friends and DJ's collectively known as "Club 75" which includes Cassius, Busy P and Xavier de Rosnay (Justice). In 2010, he launched a project in collaboration with Riton, a close friend, titled "Carte Blanche".
Mehdi, being a fan of J Dilla, created a mixtape tribute entitled "Loukoums
LoukoumsSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Les Loukoums39:532I Am Somebody (Edit)2:41", which was released in 2006. The mixtape is based on the concept of J Dilla's instrumental album Donuts, released the same year.
Since the death of DJ Mehdi in 2011, this mixtape (initially pressed in 200 copies for promotional and family framework) is now available for free on the Ed Banger Records SoundCloud page.
Death
Mehdi died on 13 September 2011, when the skylight of his Paris home collapsed while he was celebrating Riton's birthday with a group of friends on the roof. Mehdi was the only fatality, while three others were injured.
Albums
Ideal J
Original Mc's Sur Une MIssion (1996)
Le Combat Continue (1998)
113
Ni barreaux, ni barrières, ni frontières (1998)
Les Princes De La Ville (1999)
Fout La Merde (2002)
Karlito
Contenu Sous Pression (2001)
Mapei
Cocoa Butter Diaries (2009)
Solo work
The Story Of Espion (2002)
Des Friandises Pour Ta Bouche (2005)
Loukoums (2006)
Lucky Boy (2006)
Lucky Boy at Night (2007)
Singles
"Wonderbra" ("Paradisiaque", Mc Solaar) (1997)
"Classik" / "Au Fond De Mon Cœur" / "Esclave 2000" ("Touche D'Espoir", Assassin) (2000)
"À L'Anciene" / "Les Points Sur Les I Remix" ("Les Points Sur Les I", Intouchable) (2000)
"Le Ssem" / "Le Jeu de La Mort" ("La Vie Avant La Mort", Rohff) (2001)
"Couleur Ebène" ("Ouest Side", Booba) (2006)
"I am SomebodyI Am SomebodySpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1I Am Somebody (Paris version)3:092I Am Somebody (Montréal version)3:593Leave It Alone4:054Tales of Tomorrow3:445I Am Somebody (K-Dope dub)4:196I Am Somebody (Kenny Dope Old Skool remix)3:577I Am Somebody (Kenny Dope Old Skool instrumental remix)3:57" ("I am Somebody", DJ Mehdi, real: So_Me) (2007)
"Signatune" (2007)
Remixes
1997 Koma – "Realite Rap" (DJ Mehdi RMX)
1998 113 – "Les Evadés" (Remix)
1998 Fabe – "Quand j'serai grand…" (DJ Mehdi Remix)
1999 Cassius – "Feeling for You" (Cambridge Circus Mix)
2000 Joakim Lone Octet – "Oleg Dans Les Bois" (DJ Mehdi Remix)
2000 Manu Key – "Si Tu Savais" (Remix)
2001 Akhenaton – "K (AKH)" (DJ Mehdi Remix/DJ Mehdi Instrumental Remix)
2002 Next Evidence – "Dance On" (DJ Mehdi Remix/DJ Mehdi's Dub)
2002 Etienne de Crécy – "Out of My Hands" (DJ Mehdi Remix)
2003 Asian Dub Foundation – "Fortress Europe" (Techno Organisation Remix)
2004 Wayne Shorter – "Footprints" (Dub a.k.a. DJ Mehdi Remix)
2006 Architecture in Helsinki – "In Case We Die"
2006 New Young Pony Club – "Ice Cream" (DJ Mehdi Remix)
2007 Outlines- "Just a Lil' Lovin" (album)
2008 Sam Sparro – "21st Century Life" (DJ Mehdi Secret Disco Dub)
2009 Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – "Death Suite" (DJ Mehdi's Simple Acid Edit)
2009 Miike Snow – "Burial" (DJ Mehdi Remix)
2009 Miike Snow – ANDY FING P.
2009 Uffie – "Pop the Glock" (DJ Mehdi's "Casco" Edit)
2010 Zombie Nation – Overshoot (DJ Mehdi Remix)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 15 | 72.5th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 23 | 88.2th |
| Studio albums | 4 | 82.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | 9 | 24.5th |
| Genres | 6 | 91th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (23 release groups · 4 studio albums)
Albums · 4
2002 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 54:31
1Be Blessed, Be Back1:112North Star3:443About Me5:484I Spy4:045Anything Is Possible4:586Fooling You4:437Aneis1:538Partir6:089Breakaway4:1410Along the Way5:4411She's So Mad2:1812Bonus Tracks9:462003 · DJ-mix
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 21 tracks · 1:08:42
1Intro0:322Clando3:183Rabzouz3:594Viens faire un tour a Barbès3:125Mes parents3:076Ellitmane toh3:447Layali zaman3:458E'dir e'sseba4:249Haka ygoulou3:3310Mebrouk le mariage2:3211Lille3:3812Y'a pas d'couleurs3:2613Zahri3:3314Laisse couler3:0515Vivre ma vie4:0616Il va falloir lutter3:5617Liyem3:5118Allem alby3:3119Deltna3:3120Hood scriptures3:2921Outro0:302006 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks · 47:05
1Busy Being Born3:142I Am Somebody3:093Signatune1:044Boggin'3:345Always Be an Angel3:176Pony Rocking2:447Saharian Break3:038Lucky Boy4:049Wee Bounce2:2810Leave It Alone4:0411Hot-O-Momo3:3812Constellation1:3813Love Bombing4:0714[untitled]7:012007 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 17 tracks · 59:52
1Busy Being Born3:122I Am Somebody (Paris version)3:073Signatune (Thomas Bangalter edit)3:394Boggin'3:305Lucky Girl4:026Pony Rocking2:417Survivol3:598Saharian Break3:039Lucky Boy4:0310Wee Bounce2:2811Leave It Alone3:2812Hot-O-Momo3:3713Lucky Boy (Outlines remix)4:2614Love Bombing4:3815I Am Somebody (Switch remix)6:0416I Am Somebody (Old Skool remix by Kenny Dope)3:5517I Am Somebody (by So-Me)
Single · 6
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | About MeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 5:101About Me (edit)5:10 | 2002 | ||
| 2002 | BreakawaySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracks · 20:11A1Breakaway (DJ Mehdi remix)7:23 A2Breakaway4:09 B1Breakaway (Etienne De Crecy remix)4:32 B2Breakaway (General Electrics Soul mix)4:07 | 2002 | ||
| 2006 | I Am SomebodySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 7 tracks · 27:101I Am Somebody (Paris version)3:09 2I Am Somebody (Montréal version)3:59 3Leave It Alone4:05 4Tales of Tomorrow3:44 5I Am Somebody (K-Dope dub)4:19 6I Am Somebody (Kenny Dope Old Skool remix)3:57 7I Am Somebody (Kenny Dope Old Skool instrumental remix)3:57 | 29 May 2006 | ||
| 2007 | Your Way or Mine? / Grand CanyonSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 7:07AYour Way or Mine?3:34 BGrand Canyon3:33 | 26 March 2007 | ||
| 2008 | SignatunedSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 6:141Signatuned (Stanton Warriors remix)6:14 | 10 March 2008 | ||
| 2008 | Pocket PianoSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracks · 24:211Pocket Piano4:37 2Pocket Piano (Joakim Remix)10:01 3Pocket Piano (Brodinski Remix)5:50 4Tunisia Bambaata3:53 | 1 December 2008 |
Album · 8
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 7Kings, volume 1Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 28 tracks · 1:11:52A1All for the Cash2:00 A2Guilty2:05 A3Kaught in da AK2:45 A4Me, Not the Paper3:44 A5Boon Docks2:12 A6Brothers From Brentwood2:04 A7All in The1:53 A8Why Not?2:15 A9Act Too Hip-Hop4:14 A10Feel Like Makin’ Love3:30 A11Epizodes2:05 A12A Song for Assata4:12 A13Resurection (remix)1:01 A14Midnight Marauders2:50 A15Actual Facts, Outro…0:23 B1Streets of New York3:23 B2In the Ghetto3:07 B3The Saga Begins2:35 B4For Pete’s Sake2:28 B5It’s on You2:47 B6Shut’Em Down (remix)2:49 B7Anti N***Er Machine2:41 B8Turn Off the Radio1:31 B9The Edge of Panic2:12 B10Mind Blown0:31 B11Untouchable4:03 B12G’z Up3:18 B13Let Me Ride3:14 | Compilation,DJ-mix,Mixtape/Street | 2002 | |
| 2005 | Des friandises pour ta boucheSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 13 tracks · 34:561It's Gonna Be Alright1:26 2Le Cirque3:23 3Liberation-Heading High0:24 4Keep Moving2:48 5Hip-Hop Suite0:47 6Love Is the Blues2:38 7Unhappy Again2:20 8We Crying3:49 9Love My Young Nation2:00 10The Flame1:43 11My Time My Days2:35 12Have Fun4:01 13Gonna Be in Peace (When I Paint My Masterpiece)7:02 | Soundtrack | May 2005 | |
| 2006 | LoukoumsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 42:341Les Loukoums39:53 2I Am Somebody (Edit)2:41 | Compilation,Mixtape/Street | May 2006 | |
| 2008 | Mixmag Presents: DJ Medhi, Feadz & Pedro Winter: Ed Banger Ménage-à-TroisSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 15 tracks · 42:031Dirty Mutha (DJ Medhi dirty remix)3:36 2Blind Sweep2:42 3Don't Go4:40 4Dr. Love (Crookers remix)2:57 5White Knight2:21 6Give It Up0:58 7Hoes Get Down1:31 8Rock The1:04 9Numanoid3:05 10J'Taime (Switch remix) (Ed Banger edit)0:14 11Invaders (Busy P remix)1:43 12D.A.N.C.E. (Spank Rock & Mos Def remix)3:03 13Fool For Love (SebastiAn remix)2:49 14Space Warrior2:43 15I Rock8:37 | Compilation,DJ-mix | 20 February 2008 | |
| 2009 | Black Black & BlackSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 45:351Bless1:06 2World Go Round (remix)3:32 3Hey Hey (remix)3:26 4Pop the Glock (Casco edit)3:44 5Embrace the Martian (remix demo)4:14 6Leader of the Pack3:24 7Burial (remix)3:32 8Nasty Boy (Le Cirque mix)3:23 9Glory Days (TV Track)4:33 10Drop the Bomb (Ed Rec Allstars mix)2:55 11Public Enemy2:59 12I Will Not Lose2:20 13Have Fun4:01 14Peace2:26 | Compilation | 15 October 2009 | |
| 2009 | Red Black & BlueSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 19 tracks · 53:461Red Black & Blue0:37 2To Protect and Entertain3:13 3Oleg dans les bois2:33 4Lucky Girl1:24 5Out of My Hands5:33 6Justify3:15 7Circuit (‘The Party’ mix)3:28 8Ice Cream0:16 9I Will Come Back4:43 1021st Century Life4:41 11In Case We Die3:32 12Serge Dylan1:31 13Waiting for You3:47 14Oh malheur chez O’Malley2:23 15Dirty Mutha4:10 16Lights Out2:54 17Feeling for You3:05 18Si tu savais0:28 19Music Is My Hot Hot Sex2:13 | Compilation,DJ-mix | 9 November 2009 | |
| 2011 | DJ Mehdi : Naissance d’un princeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 39 tracks · 1:52:121Intro : Espionnage FM2:11 2Ricochets2:22 3Mon pote et moi3:41 4Qui a la voix claire ?3:01 5K1fry Style4:51 6K3:21 7Tonton du Bled1:03 8Manuscrit2:44 9La vérité blesse4:39 10Très peu d’amis3:09 11Truc de fou3:06 12Je dois faire du cash4:12 13Gravé sur tes shoes5:03 14Le Soir3:03 15Tu connais l’histoire (J’arrive Flow, Part II)2:29 16Quand je serai grand0:44 17Au fond de mon cœur3:02 18Miss & Blues2:01 19T’inquiète3:02 20Histoire réelle (remix)3:24 21Excusez nous2:31 22D’Orly à Orly0:30 23La rue cause2:53 24On l’a pas mérité4:38 25Réalité (rap remix)3:12 26Vie de malheur3:07 27Les points sur les i0:37 28Ca vient de chez nous1:52 29Appelle moi Rohff3:56 30Nuage sans fin3:43 31Respect1:50 32Qu’est ce qui fait marcher les sages remix3:26 33Assoce de…3:14 34À ma façon2:06 35Along The Way2:28 36On s’habitue3:28 37Nébuleuse2:59 38Princes de la ville0:59 39Couleur ebène3:35 | Compilation,DJ-mix | 7 February 2011 | |
| 2011 | Let the Children TechnoSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 20 tracks · 1:03:061Let the Children Techno1:39 2Procrastinator3:40 3Hipgnosis2:03 4Idiot2:59 5Infinity Riser2:19 6Shades of Black2:43 7Enio1:38 8Is That Your Girl?2:52 9The Voice2:55 10Shark Simple (L-Vis 1990 & The Neon Dreams remix)5:06 11The Invisible Landscape2:07 12Grace2:43 13Far From Home3:17 14Anagogue4:24 15Control3:10 16Relax5:22 17One Night Stand3:43 18Boat Party3:11 19TragicoMehdi3:21 20Caravan of Delight3:54 | Compilation,DJ-mix | 21 February 2011 |
EP · 2
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Lucky GirlSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracks · 19:07A1Lucky Girl4:06 A2Lucky Boy (Outlines remix)4:32 B1Signatune (Thomas Bangalter edit)6:20 B2Lucky Boy (Surkin remix)4:09 | 5 March 2007 | ||
| 2024 | Espion Le EpSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 11 tracks · 42:261We Are the Espionnage Sound System1:26 2Ulysse5:25 3On S'habitue4:10 4Pop Song I0:57 5Naja5:01 6T'Inquiète3:47 7Camille Groult Starr (Boombass Remix)6:07 8Si Tu Savais (DJ Mehdi Remix)4:50 9Pop Song II1:06 10Spanish Harlem4:46 11Despee '984:51 | 12 September 2024 |
Broadcast · 2
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mehdi Mixmas 2009Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 41:451Mehdi Mixmas 200941:45 | DJ-mix | 2009 | |
| 2009 | 2009-11-07: BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix: The Warehouse ProjectSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 2:00:0012009-11-07: BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix: The Warehouse Project2:00:00 | Live,DJ-mix | 7 November 2009 |
Other · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Tsugi Podcast 200, Part 3: DJ MehdiSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 58:141Tsugi Podcast, Part 3: DJ Mehdi58:14 | DJ-mix | 8 September 2011 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put DJ Mehdi head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 15 | 72.5th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 23 | 88.2th |
| Studio albums | 4 | 82.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | 9 | 24.5th |
| Genres | 6 | 91th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ideal J(band) | — | present | |
| Carte Blanche(band) | — | present | |
| Club 75(band) | — | present | original |
| Mafia K’1 Fry(band) | — | present |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DJ_Mehdi.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/66ad8456-1d33-4d7d-b8c3-a8f1a3b1e74fdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/66ad8456-1d33-4d7d-b8c3-a8f1a3b1e74fcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1154202genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1154202seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Mehdibiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Mehdi
Why this artist is in the database
- List of hip-hop musicians
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: GrechPhoto / Michael Grech · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1154202 · MusicBrainz: 66ad8456-1d33-4d7d-b8c3-a8f1a3b1e74f
Similar artists
Browse every Tier 3 artist →Ranked from this record's own data: shared genre tags (rarer tags weigh more), era, home country and comparable fame. Every card lists the signals that placed it — no editorial picks.
Chilly Gonzales
Canada · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 1999, 3 years apart
16 wikis
K.Maro
Lebanon · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 2002, same year
16 wikis
Promoe
Sweden · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 1999, 3 years apart
11 wikis
Detsl
Soviet Union · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 2000, 2 years apart
22 wikis
Flying Lotus
United States · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 2005, 3 years apart
25 wikis
Igor Pablo Cavalera
Brazil · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 1999, 3 years apart
25 wikis
Dolphin
Russia · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 1997
10 wikis
Jack Parow
South Africa · Person
electronic music · hip-hop
2 shared genre tags · debut 2009
8 wikis