Mafia K'1 Fry

Hardcore rap collective Mafia K'1 Fry's sprawling roster featured some of the most respected names in contemporary French hip-hop. Formed in Val-de-Marne in 1995 and originally dubbed L'Union, the group was spearheaded by Ideal J leader Kery James and Different Teep frontman Manu Key; the lineup (which sometimes swelled to as many as 16) also included rapper Rohff and all three members of the trio 113, Rim-K, AP, and Mokobé. Their respective commercial success was instrumental in raising the profile of Mafia K'1 Fry, and in 1997 the collective issued its debut EP, Les Liens Sacrés. Légendaire Mafia K'1 Fry followed a year later, but the subsequent departure of James -- who in 1999 abandoned rap after the murder of a close friend, only to embrace Islam and resurface as one of French hip-hop's biggest stars -- derailed Mafia K'1 Fry's momentum, and the remaining members spread out to pursue solo careers, finally reconvening in 2003 for the full-length smash La Cerise Sur le Ghetto. Si Tu Roules Avec la Mafia K'1 Fry, a feature-length documentary spotlighting the group, followed a year later and was a commercial and critical favorite when issued on DVD; Rohff's subsequent resignation again slowed the creative process, and a new Mafia K'1 Fry LP, Jusqu'à la Mort, did not follow until early 2007.