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Abdu Ali
Born: 1989
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Gender Identity: Nonbinary
Pronouns: They/Them
Sexual Orientation: Queer
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: African American
Profession: Musician, Poet, Performance Artist, Community Organizer
Years Active: 2012–present
Genres: Experimental Hip-Hop, Noise Punk, Jazz, Spoken Word
Labels: Independent
Associated Acts: JPEGMAFIA, Butch Dawson, :3LON
Notable For: Music, poetry, community organizing, and Black radical thought
Era: 21st century
Overview
Abdu Ali is a queer Black multidisciplinary artist, writer, musician, and community organizer from Baltimore, Maryland. Their work blends experimental rap, jazz, punk, and electronic noise to create a raw, confrontational sound deeply rooted in Black radical traditions. Openly queer and nonbinary, Ali’s art is a vessel for Afro-futurism, liberation politics, and spiritual resistance. They are known for fiercely challenging anti-Blackness, homophobia, and capitalism through both performance and activism.
Artistic Contributions
Ali’s genre-defying music incorporates spoken word, experimental hip-hop, and noise punk. They’ve cited influences such as Grace Jones, Sun Ra, and Bessie Smith. Their live performances are known for being electrifying, often incorporating elements of performance art, protest, and ritual. Notable releases include Fiyah!!, MONGO, and Chiiild. Their lyrics frequently explore themes of Black identity, queerness, trauma, ancestry, and transcendence.
Community Work
In addition to their art, Abdu Ali is a grassroots organizer committed to uplifting marginalized voices in Baltimore. They founded As They Lay, a creative platform and salon that spotlights Black artists, thinkers, and revolutionaries. They also created Kahlon, a monthly queer music and art gathering that became a crucial safe space for Black queer expression in Baltimore’s art scene.
Legacy and Impact
Abdu Ali’s work exists at the intersection of Black queer futurism, radical liberation, and creative defiance. They are part of a lineage of artists who reject categorization and instead use sound, performance, and poetry as tools of disruption and survival. Their refusal to separate art from activism has made them an influential figure in contemporary queer culture and grassroots organizing.
🎵 Albums & Mixtapes
- FIYAH!! (2016)
- Their debut full-length mixtape. A raw blend of noise, punk, and rap with bold political messaging.
- Dismembered (2018)
- A dark, poetic project that explores Black identity, trauma, and transcendence. More experimental in sound and delivery.
- Fiyah!! Remixed (2018)
- A reimagined version of the 2016 mixtape with contributions from multiple producers.
- As They Lay (2019)
- Their first studio album. A genre-defying record blending jazz, club, rap, and noise with deeply personal and spiritual themes.
🎧 EPs & Notable Projects
- MONGO (2013)
- Debut EP. A fierce introduction to their hybrid sound of spoken word, rap, and industrial beats.
- Push + Slay (2014)
- A bold, politically charged project embracing Afrofuturist aesthetics and queer liberation.
- Keep Movin’ (Negro Kairos) (2015)
- A meditation on Black temporality and survival, featuring production from Schwarz and others.
🌀 Select Singles
- “Chaka Glitch”
- “I, Black God”
- “Did Dat”
- “Mind Fuck”
- “Anti-Folk Negro”
- “Keep Movin”
- “Bitch I’m Here”
- “Lil Black Boy”
- “Calas”
- “My Supreme”
- “On the One” (feat. JPEGMAFIA)
🪩 Collaborations & Guest Appearances
- JPEGMAFIA – Frequent collaborator in Baltimore’s noise rap scene.
- Schwarz – Producer on early works like Keep Movin’.
- Baltimore Club scene – Many remixes and collaborations, as part of their roots in queer nightlife and Black dance culture.
Quote
“I’m trying to create new worlds for Black people to be free.” — Abdu Ali
Further Reading / Listening
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