Rising Artist - Abdu Ali

Baltimore’s latest breakout star is an avant-garde electronic musician, writer, and multidisciplinary artist.

“I want to make music to heal.”

Abdu Ali is an artist connecting the dots between Baltimore’s heritage sounds; jazz, punk and soul together with a raw fusion of new club music, electronica, futurism and rap.

Growing up in Baltimore, Ali comes from a long line of artists who can call Maryland’s Charm City their home. Unapologetically black and queer, as a versatile artist primarily working with social practice, Abdu Ali’s work is bold. Across several EU and US tours, as well as sharing the stage with FKA TWIGS, Sun Ra Arkestra, and Mykki Blanco, Abdu has been challenging stereotypes and promoting liberation from entrenched systemic forces via a string of visceral performances.

Recently selected by Culture Magazine as one of the key artists to watch in 2020, Ali was also awarded the 2019 Baltimore mayor’s Artist Of The Year accolade. Self-released debut album Fiyah!!!, named after the 1926 African-American literary magazine “Fire!!”, founded during the Harlem Renaissance, was released in April earlier this year. Abdu describes the release as, “Everything that I am and everything that I am not. I wanted to embrace all of the facets of my identity but not let those paradigms build chains around my artistic vision. This album is a queer’d journey of interrogation in order to discover the seed of my fire.” 

LoudlyMag caught up with Abdu Ali via email over the holiday season, read our conversation below.

LoudlyMAG: What inspires you?

Abdu Ali: I am inspired by life, struggle, and the radical motivation to move through the bullshit so that I can be in my fullest bag. I am inspired by love. I am inspired by family. I am inspired by Baltimore. I am influenced by a bunch of things, right now I want to make music to heal. I want my music to embrace softness. My inspiration definitely changes as I live too though.

Which artists from Baltimore history resonate with you most, and who do you see coming through in the next wave of artists?

Butch Dawson is really cool. Love Pangelica. I love Baby Kahlo. 4kmichel. YTK. There's a big music movement happening in Baltimore right now and see a lot more folk coming out of the scene and slaying. 

Can you tell us what it was like growing up in Baltimore? 

Baltimore is a beautiful black ass city that was fun to grow up in. Baltimore club and house music was the score of my childhood, and in my youth Baltimore was ripe in the black arts and culture. 

What is your approach to music, your vision of it?

I have a spiritual approach to music.

You directed the music video for 'Did Dat' yourself. What was the production process like? Are you planning to make/direct music videos for your new album?

I co-directed it with Corey Hughes, one of my favourite filmmakers in Baltimore. We really want to make something that resonated with Baltimore a lot and that showcased joy. I want to make more videos for sure, hopefully the next one will be for F.U.F.M. 

What is your favourite song of yours? 

A lot of my favorite songs are the ones that are fun to perform. Right now, I really love F.U.F.M. I feel absolute when I perform that song and am proud of it cause I produced the whole thing myself. I think lyrically it is one of my favorite tracks ever. 

Your Kahlon parties helped Princess Nokia and Juliana Huxtable to breakthrough, can you tell us about these events; where were they, what were they like?

Kahlon was an important music event that changed the game in Baltimore and radicalised the music climate. They were really unruly, raw, and highly attended. 

What is the most rewarding thing you have worked on in your career?

Touring has been the best and most rewarding element as a music artist.

Fan of: Fela Kuti, Missy Elliott, Miss Tony, Pattie Smith, Lil Kim

Sounds like: Punk, Jazz, Baltimore Club Music, Rap

Abdu Ali’s music is available to stream and purchase here.