What is your name and what city do you rep?
My name is Alexander Ali but most people call me A. I’m originally from Portsmouth, VA but I’ve lived a good part of my life in Richmond City too so I rep both cities respectively.
Tell us about your latest releases, what inspired you to create them?
Last year my team and I released a promotional track celebrating 20 years of the Fast&Furious entitled The Fast Life. We released it on Youtube and Facebook a couple weeks before Fast-9 dropped and we ended up getting a lot of love. I think we got a little over 100k views and 500 new subs in the first week. After the movie released and the hype died down, the video we put together was still clocking views. We clocked over 250k across both sites with a little over new 1k subs.
For big names in the industry those aren’t huge numbers but for us, being that we’re just up and coming, it was definitely a win. When we reached out to Universal, we explained to one of their reps that we’re not trying to monetize the video and how we’re big fans of the franchise, they gave us the green light so big shout out to Universal for allowing us to do that. Same goes for everyone on the Fast crew that took the time to check us out.
As far as new music goes, we just released my first single a few months ago. It’s called U BAD. It’s a twerk song that I wrote a few years back. I really wasn’t planning on making it my first single because I got songs that are in my opinion more richer in content but when you’re a part of a team, you do things as a collective so U BAD was voted first and I can’t really complain because it’s gotten us a lot of attention. Since we released it, a lot of heavy hitters and influencers have stopped by our Instagram page and showed love. Shout out to Case, Q Dot-Davis, DJPain1, GlobalHipHops, TrillestENT, Uncle Bobby White aka Uncle Perm, ItzBizkit as well as The Fleet DJs.
A lot of bad Instagram and TikTok models have stopped by too and used U BAD for their videos. Check out the U BAD music page on Instagram or hit up @thereal_a_ali to check out some of the reels. When I say they bad, some of them will make you want to reach through the screen…no cap.
I also dropped a few freestyles to some classic beats I liked but now, we’re about to release my follow-up to U BAD called Give Her That. We’ve been quiet about it but this is the first time we’ve announced it. Give Her That is a hot new single that has a lot of potential and unlike U BAD, it was written this year. For me personally, Give Her That shows how much I’ve grown as an artist and it also shows how technical I can be lyrically while still delivering something that everyone can vibe too. There’s absolutely nothing like it on the market right now so I can’t wait to release it.
We’re going to announce a release date soon exclusively on the gram so make sure you follow us @thereal_a_ali and tap in.
What is unique about you and your music?
Only because I know what’s on the way, it’s the context. Being perfectly honest, U BAD, in my opinion doesn’t scream originality because there’s so many twerk songs on the market…I’m talking past and present, that it’s like you’ve heard it all so there’s not too many things that can be done in that space that hasn’t been done already. Moving forward, what’s on the way really shows a lot of versatility both lyrically and contextually which is why we’re so excited.
There’s a lot of songs out there that carry a similar sound, similar flow and I don’t think that’s a bad thing because we’re all learning from each other but as an artist, my thought process now versus then is how can I take this concept, flip it on its head, make it all make sense and still deliver something different without losing the listener. As a fan and student of the game, I always try to put myself in the shoes of the listener because that’s what it’s about.
In terms of me as a person, I think one thing that really separates me from other artist is my life story. I don’t usually speak on this but I had throat cancer years back and I was told that I’d never be able to sing, rap or do anything like what I’m doing now but despite everything I was told, I’m still doing it. Man told me I’d never be able to make music but God gave me the ability to do it anyway so with that being said, I’m here…
What shaped your music?
A lot of things like my life, my influences, the world around me…so many things help mold me as an artist. For example, I grew up in the PJs (Swanson Holmes) and when I was coming up, we didn’t have a whole lot. Some people were balling in the ‘jects but not us. But my folks did what they could to provide for me and my cousins but the struggle definitely molded me and pushed me in the direction I’m headed in.
Also all the gems passed down from the OGs of the game played a factor too. 2Pac, Biggie, Snoop, Jay-Z, Nas, Ice Cube, Fat Joe, Big Pun, Big L, The WuTang, UGK, Bone, Master P, Wayne and Cash Money just to name few. So many artist laid the ground work and influenced me when I was coming up that I’d be here for days trying to name everyone but ultimately, it was the life I lived and the experiences I had coming up here in Virginia that really made me who I am today.
When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?
I decided way back when I was a kid but I didn’t know exactly how I was going to make it happen. All I know is that I loved making music so now, as I’ve matured as an artist, I know it’s my calling but I don’t limit myself to just writing music anymore. I also write movies and scripts for music videos too. The last thing I want to do is limit myself so my team and I are working on ways to work with people on different levels.
What type of music do you listen to?
I listen to everything. If it got a rhythm, I can listen to it. I feel like a true artist can listen to almost any genre of music because it’s something to learn there. A lot of hip hop was derived from different genres like Jazz, the Blues and even classical music. I personally don’t feel like I can call myself a true artist if I can’t appreciate music as a whole.
What inspires you to write music?
I get inspiration from hot beats. When I hear a hot beat, I got to have it. When I hear a beat and it moves me, I feel like the beat owns me until I come up with something hot, then I own the beat. So if I hear something I really like, I’m on it.
Another motivator is knowing if I come up with something hot, someone else is going to feel it and the energy that comes with it. I think it’s human to want to be felt but when I listen to a hot song, I get hype so that energy I receive makes me want to return the favor and send it forward so it’s a cycle. I think that’s the one thing about music that truly connects us as listeners and creators.
What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
I like to write movies too. I’ve written like nine movies now. Some are comedies, some are dramas, but they all got a message to them. Once I establish myself as song writer, that’s my next step.
Happiness to you is…
Happiness is knowing my people are good. Knowing that they don’t have to stress as much because the world is stressful enough. Knowing that they have what they need to live out their dreams…but as a writer and businessman, happiness can be knowing I’m one line closer to finishing a verse or one step closer to building a new partnership or a brand.
Sometimes happiness is just being able to find the time kick it with family. I appreciate the simple things in life but all of these things make me happy.
What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?
A lot of things. I wish I was told that the business side is just as important as the creative side. I wish I would’ve been told it’s not all about talent. I wish I would’ve been told to build a team first before jumping into it and trying to take on everything by myself. For any new artist out there trying to make it, make sure you got your money right first or take the time out to figure out how obtain funding because marketing and promotion ain’t cheap and it’s just as important that the product itself.
Stay in school and learn as much as you can. Sometimes the stuff we think we won’t need in life ends up coming back around so don’t short-change yourself. Like my uncle used to say, keep your head on a swivel and stay focused and you’ll go far. Stay focused…
Tell us about your upcoming projects…
We got a lot projects we’re working on behind the scenes here at P&M. We have an animated music video in the works for a single we’re pushing down the road. We’re going to be working on the video for my next single soon. I’m currently penning the script for a pilot. The sitcom we’re working on is starring Richmond’s very own DJ JazzyBeatz and we’re hoping it ends up being something special. Looking way ahead, I’d like to bring as many movies to life as I can after I drop a few albums.
Where do we find your music / music projects?
You can find U BAD on Spotify, Instagram, Apple Music, Tidal and everywhere you stream music. Shout out to our distributor DistroKid for making it easy for artist like myself to drop new music and keep it moving. Don’t sleep on Distrokid.
Any last words for the readers?
Please follow us on social media and join us on our journey. Right now we’re offering free promotion to anyone using U BAD for their TikTok and Instagram videos so all you undiscovered models looking to grow your page and shine, now’s the time.
Make sure you tag @thereal_a_ali if you’re on Instagram or @thereal_a_ali1 if you’re on TikTok and we got you.
***Free Promotion***
Also, we love constructive criticism and honest feedback so please feel free to drop a comment or dm us and hopefully we can build together so let’s build.
For producers who’d like to submit music for consideration, email any beats to [email protected] and our team will check them out and get back to you but make sure you bring that heat. We’re always on the lookout for fire beats so please bring you’re A-game.
Lastly, be sure to follow the links below and tap in. Your support means the world to us.
YouTube: A Ali
Instagram: @thereal_a_ali
TikTok: @thereal_a_ali1
U BAD Music Page (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/reels/audio/567200837714730/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2e9AA1qwSL8YeQLqerx5Dl
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/u-bad-single/1590794411
The Fast Life
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1if7phCGzirdwOE7MACrPR
P&M Productions LLC
P.O.Box 74422 North Chesterfield, VA 23236-9998
Email: [email protected]
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