Brother Ali - Behind the Scenes
As’salamu alaikum FriendsBrother 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 SincereA 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 cancelledBrother 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 CollapseCadillacEnjoy 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 SalamDr AmanHost🎧 HighlightsIn this episode, we discussed:🎤 Early Life🎤 Finding acceptance within the black community🎤 Conversion to Islam age 15🎤 Albinism🎤 Cancel Culture🎤 The Entertainment Industry🎤 Relocating from USA to Istanbul🎤 Hip Hop Legends🎤 Music and Islam🎤 Fame and Celebrity🎤 How therapy has helped me🎤 Sacrifice. My Legacy🎤 New album: Love and Service🎙️ Full interview🎥 Watch on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/muslimcentric?sub_confirmation=1🎧 Listen and subscribeApple https://apple.co/2R1oWbGSpotify https://spoti.fi/2UPDM6lGoogle Podcasts https://bit.ly/341wcd9Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3tD3FWSTuneIn http://tun.in/pjMCAStitcher https://bit.ly/2ymnD0xOther platforms https://linktr.ee/muslimcentric⏱️ Recent episodes🎬 Palestine, ‘Aicha’, Fame, Faith & FatherhoodIsam B of Outlandish | Podcast Ep.60🎬 Are Muslim stand-up comedians funny?Azeem Muhammad | Podcast Ep.59🎬 Perspectives on Gaza, Israel, Islamophobia & the mediaBritish Muslim leaders | Podcast Ep.58🎬 Understanding suicidal thoughts & Muslim Mental HealthWorld expert Professor Rory | Podcast Ep.57🎬 Are you funny or not? The Godfather of Muslim ComedyPreacher Moss | Podcast Ep.56🎬 It was like the Hunger Games! Islamic Scholar from ScotlandShaykh Ruzwan Mohammed | Podcast Ep.55🎬 My secret meeting with Nelson Mandela in prisonEbrahim Rasool | Podcast Ep.54🎬 From Jimi Hendrix & Rolling Stones to Mecca & SaintsPhotographer Peter Sanders | Podcast Ep.53🎬 The Problem with Muslim CharitiesIslamic Relief Founder Dr Hany El-Banna | Ep.52The MuslimCentric Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
