In the late 1990s, he rose to fame as a singer-songwriter and musician under the alias M (often stylized as -M-), blending Nouvelle Chanson, electronic and rock music.

In studio, he experiments with various instruments and electronic music, while on tour as -M- he mostly plays the guitar, and is known for his eccentric outfits and dramatic live performances, sometimes including special effects.

Chedid has also performed in the 2005 stage musical Le soldat rose and is part of French-Malian band Lamomali.

His father Louis Chedid is a singer from a family of Lebanese and Syrian extraction, of Maronite and Greek Orthodox Christian background.

He has recorded with NTM, Sinclair, Billy Ze Kick, Brigitte Fontaine, Sean Lennon, Vanessa Paradis, and Johnny Hallyday.

The character -M- is a superhero, noted for having a playful nature, and recognized for his flamboyant costumes (primarily monochrome suits with slim trousers and long jackets with upward pointed collars) and hair styled into the shape of an M.[citation needed] In 1997, -M- released his first solo album Le Baptême.

Rumors circulated before the release of his 2009 studio album, Mister Mystère, that Chedid had decided to drop the character -M- to record and perform under his given name.

The music video for the first single, "Le Roi des ombres", showed Chedid burning a tiny effigy of his alterego.

With his energetic personality, eccentric outfits and hairstyle, the character has drawn comparisons with English musician David Bowie's stage persona Ziggy Stardust.

[15] In promotional material and music videos for his 2009 album Mister Mystère, Chedid is seen with natural hair instead of the signature M-shaped hairstyle.

[16] The lyrics of some of the songs, and the music video of Le Roi des Ombres ending with Chedid burning a tiny effigy of the -M- character, led to speculation about whether he would abandon his alter ego.