Mehdi Maïzi

Mehdi Maïzi
Maïzi in 2023
Born (1986-07-10) 10 July 1986
Aïn Taya, Algeria
EducationSkema Business School
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • musician
  • podcaster
  • newspaper columnist

Mehdi Maïzi (born 10 July 1986) is an Algerian–French music journalist and writer specializing in rap music.

Early life and education

Mehdi Maïzi was born on 10 July 1986 in Aïn Taya, Algeria.[1] At the end of the 1990s, the Algerian Civil War forced his family to flee because his father, a local television news presenter, had received several death threats.[1][2]

In 2000, Maïzi sought refuge in France, obtained a science baccalaureate at the Marie Curie high school in Nogent-sur-Oise and then continued his studies in a preparatory class, which led him to enroll at the business school Skema, from which he graduated in 2010.[2][3][4]

Career

From 2008 to 2016, Maïzi worked as a volunteer journalist for Abcdr du son, a French online media outlet founded in 2000 and focused on rap music.[5]

In 2015, Maïzi became a columnist for Monte le son !, a television program about the music industry broadcast on France 4.[1] That same year, he became the host of the weekly podcast NoFun, where he discusses rap music with three other guests.[6] The podcast ended in December 2019.

In April 2016, Maïzi joined OKLM Radio, an online radio station created by French rapper Booba. where he hosted "La Sauce", named after the song of the same name by Hamza, a show he shared with other commentators such as French rapper Driver. That same year, he wrote the book Rap français, une exploration en 100 albums (English: "French Rap: An Exploration in 100 Albums").[7]

In 2017, Maïzi joined Deezer, where he was responsible for creating rap playlists. Between February 2018 and June 2019, he hosted the podcast "Speakeasy", where he interviewed various artists.[8] In 2018, he also appeared temporarily as a commentator on Cyril Hanouna‘s show Balance ton post! on the television channel C8.[9]

At Deezer, Maïzi was also responsible for overseeing the first two editions of the "La Relève" project, a 12-track compilation featuring new talents in French-language rap. The first was released in April 2019,[10] and the second in October that same year.[11]

In May 2019, on the Red Bull YouTube channel, Maïzi hosted "Rap Jeu", a bi-monthly game show where four rappers or actors from the rap world compete in challenges related to rap culture.[12] Produced by Redbull, hosted by Maïzi, written by Yérim and Ngiraan, and produced by Näkymä, the game is largely inspired by Burger Quiz.[13]

That same year, Maïzi was poached from Deezer by the French branch of Apple Music, which he officially joined in February 2020 as head of hip-hop.[14] Responsible for the platform's rap playlists and content, since June 2020 he has been hosting a weekly radio show exclusively for Apple subscribers, Le Code Radio, as well as a video interview broadcast on YouTube, Le Code.[15]

Starting in September 2020, Maïzi joined the Tier List podcast with Neefa, Sandra Gomes, and Yérim Sar.[14]

He continued to host Rap Jeu until finally leaving his position at the end of 2021, after around 60 episodes and the release of a board game.[16][17] On 31 October 2022, another version of Le Code was launched, entitled Le Code Review, a bimonthly round table discussion where Maïzi, Sandra Gomes, and Raphaël Da Cruz discuss rap news.[18] That same year, he contributed to the mixtape ZZCCMXTP, on the songs "Nous y sommes" and "Drake."[19]

In June 2025, Maïzi joined France Inter for the weekly program L'Heure du rap,[20] before taking over the reins of the daily show À la régulière,[21] where he interviews musical artists as well as actors and actresses and figures of internet culture.[22]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Arnaud Aubry (12 October 2017). "Career: Mehdi Maizi, rap expert". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 Victor Mérat (8 June 2022). ""Without rap, I would surely be a consultant": Mehdi Maizi (Apple Music France) recounts his journey". Le Figaro Étudiant (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "After attending business school and preparatory classes, Mehdi Maizi tells us about his career path". Le Figaro (in French). 1 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Benoît Carretier (14 January 2023). "Mehdi Maïzi: "Bon Iver has always depressed me"". Libération.
  5. ↑ Matthieu Bidan (23 May 2016). "Mehdi Maizi, nouveau visage du journalisme rap". StreetPress (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  6. ↑ Rémi Jacob (30 September 2018). "Podcaster of the week: Mehdi Maïzi, host of NoFun" (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  7. ↑ Maxime Delcourt (10 May 2015). "L'éternelle jeunesse du hip-hop français (The Eternal Youth of French Hip Hop)". Slate (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "Media – Podcast: Deezer launches Speakeasy by Mehdi Maizi". L'ADN. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  9. ↑ Thibault Cealic (21 September 2018). "Balance ton post (C8): Eric Revel, Ramous, Mehdi Maïzi... Who are the commentators on Cyril Hanouna's new show?" (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Deezer proposes its new generation of French rap – Sidekicks". Abcdr du son (in French). 15 April 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  11. ↑ Cécile Acolet (2 October 2019). "Deezer announces the release of its compilation "La Relève 2"". Mouv' (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "Why is Red Bull so present in French rap?". Mouv' (in French). 15 November 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  13. ↑ Smaël Bouaici. "Behind the scenes of Rap Jeu". www.redbull.com (in French). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  14. 1 2 Smaël Bouaici (3 December 2020). "24 hours with Mehdi Maïzi". RedBull (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  15. ↑ Jean-Sébastien Zanchi (9 June 2020). "Apple Music launches LE CODE, its first French program dedicated to hip-hop". 01net (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "Rap board game: release date!". Générations (in French). 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  17. ↑ Justin Noto (21 December 2021). "Mehdi Maïzi announces his departure from "Rap Jeu"". Interlude (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Apple Music presents 'LE CODE Review'". Stuff Magazine (in French). 31 October 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Mehdi Maïzi releases his first rap song on the "ZZCCMXTP" project". Mouv' (in French). 17 June 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  20. ↑ "L'heure du rap: listen to the podcast and replay". France Inter (in French). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  21. ↑ "À la régulière, by Mehdi Maïzi: listen to the podcast". France Inter (in French). Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "Mehdi Maïzi in "À la régulière", in the evening on France Inter: rap, and much more". www.telerama.fr (in French). 6 October 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
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