Uncategorized

Brother Ali – Behind the Scenes

by admin9 months ago4 min read

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e557da8-3d40-416a-b076-c8967886790d_3957x2721.jpeg

As’salamu alaikum Friends

Brother Ali is someone who I have been following for some time and it was a privilige to have interviewed him in Istanbul during Ramadhan 2024. He is a real Hip Hop star who has performed at festivals such as Glastonbury and Coachella, on TV shows with Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, and toured with Wu Tang Clan. He is a close friend of Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Rakim, KRS-One, and Dave Chappelle.

I had one big question I had been wondering about for weeks before the interview,

What strength of character does it take for a person with albinism and visual impairment to have the confidence to become a massive Hip Hop star who performs in front of thousands, whilst also converting to Islam and becoming a deeply spiritual person who is true to his faith?

I also wanted to get a glimpse into the life of Muslim artists in the entertainment industry (listen out for the story where Brother Ali ended up at a Hollywood party and locked himself in the bedroom, had a bath and waited until Fajr 😂 )

🎯 Be Sincere

A few times during the interview, Brother Ali spoke about not knowing how others relate to him. I was intrigued by this statement,

I’ve never known how other people are perceiving me…

and I know that I can’t control how people see me.So the best [thing] is to just be sincere. That’s always disarming for people. I don’t know what they think, but I know if we’re vibing or if we’re not, and people either really vibe with me or really don’t.

⛔️ Being cancelled

Brother Ali relocated from USA to Istanbul when he was broke. As an independent artist, he has been cancelled and marginalised since October 2023 due to his outspoken support for the Palestinian 🇵🇸 people. This came at a time when his new album Love and Service was being released so his livelihood has been affected because of his views.

We must support independent artists like Brother Ali and you can help him by joining his caravan.

Check out the tracks on his new album, especially the following,

The Collapse

Cadillac

Enjoy the episode !

✍️ Do take a moment to subscribe to the podcast and leave a comment on Apple Podcasts as it helps other people to find the show.

Look after yourself and your family.

Wa’alaikum Salam

Dr Aman

Host