Abdu Ali

Abdu Ali is a black multidisciplinary musician, community activist, poet and artist based in Baltimore.[1][2] In 2019, Baltimore City Major Jack Young's Office and the LGBTQ Commission honored Ali with the Artist of the Year Award.[3] They released their first album FIYAH!! in 2019.[4][5]

Musical style

Their musical style has been described as fervent jazz with a futuristic punk rap poetry while also weaving noise punk to avant-garde rap.[6][7] Their work is inspired by Baltimore Club legend and black queer icon Miss Tony.[7] Ali's lyrics and poetry are influenced by Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Wallace Thurmon, and Richard Nugent.[8] The FADER described their single "Chastity" as "an unconventional, and daring call for self-love and acceptance".[9]

Projects

Ali has been involved in various projects including Kahlon,[10][5] an experimental music and art event in Baltimore that hosted notable acts including Juliana Huxtable, Princess Nokia and others that lasted from 2014-2017.[1] In 2017 they created drumBOOTY, a podcast for black creativity and social dialogue.[7] They are also the founder of As They Lay, which Ali states as a "creative protect-based organism" that brings black artists together for events, programs and dialogues.[1]

Discography

Studio albums
  • FIYAH!! (2019)[4]

Guest appearances
List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Artist(s) Album
"DOTS Freestyle Remix" 2019 JPEGMafia, Buzzy Lee All My Heroes Are Cornballs

References
  1. Cooper, Wilbert L. (2019-11-20). "Abdu Ali is creating space for radical black artists". i-D. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  2. "Abdu Ali: The Freedom Fighter". Cultured Magazine. 2019-07-24. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  3. Rao, Sameer. "Mining Baltimore's past and present, Abdu Ali releases album of "Fiyah!!!"". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  4. "ABDU ALI PUSHES US FORWARD WITH NEW ALBUM, FIYAH!!". AFROPUNK. 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  5. "The Quietus | Reviews | Abdu Ali". The Quietus. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  6. "Black Musicians Write the Soundtrack of the City". Baltimore magazine. 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  7. "The Experimental Savvy Of Baltimore's New Underground Music Scene". Bandcamp Daily. 2020-03-09. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  8. "Abdu Ali, a Musician with Restless Charisma, Shares Their Camera Roll". Interview. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  9. "Baltimore's Abdu Ali dares to be free on the post-futuristic "Chastity"". The FADER. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  10. Callahan, Maura. "Kahlon's Cut Up Series returns with audio-visual exhibition". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2020-06-18.


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