{"id":2431,"date":"2024-06-28T15:29:23","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T15:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/li357-45.members.linode.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/28\/brother-ali-behind-the-scenes\/"},"modified":"2024-06-28T15:29:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T15:29:23","slug":"brother-ali-behind-the-scenes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/li357-45.members.linode.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/28\/brother-ali-behind-the-scenes\/","title":{"rendered":"Brother Ali – Behind the Scenes"},"content":{"rendered":"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<\/a>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

As\u2019salamu alaikum Friends<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Brother Ali<\/a> 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\u2019Brien, 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.<\/p>\n

I had one big question I had been wondering about for weeks before the interview,<\/p>\n

\n

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?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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 \ud83d\ude02 )<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\ud83c\udfaf Be Sincere<\/h3>\n

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

\n

I’ve never known how other people are perceiving me\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u26d4\ufe0f Being cancelled<\/h3>\n

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 \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 people. This came at a time when his new album Love and Service<\/a> was being released so his livelihood has been affected because of his views.<\/p>\n

We must support independent artists like Brother Ali and you can help him by joining his caravan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Check out the tracks on his new album, especially the following,<\/p>\n

The Collapse<\/a><\/p>\n

Cadillac<\/a><\/p>\n

Enjoy the episode !<\/p>\n

\u270d\ufe0f Do take a moment to subscribe to the podcast and leave a comment<\/strong> on Apple Podcasts as it helps other people to find the show.<\/p>\n

Look after yourself and your family.<\/p>\n

Wa’alaikum Salam<\/p>\n

Dr Aman<\/p>\n

Host<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

\ud83c\udfa7 Highlights<\/h3>\n

In this episode, we discussed:<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Early Life<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Finding acceptance within the black community<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Conversion to Islam age 15<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Albinism<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Cancel Culture<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 The Entertainment Industry<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Relocating from USA to Istanbul<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Hip Hop Legends<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Music and Islam<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Fame and Celebrity<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 How therapy has helped me<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 Sacrifice. My Legacy<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 New album: Love and Service<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Full interview<\/h2>\n
\n