Meet Jordan Ali | Rapper, Poet, Author, Artist, & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Ali and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think Risk is inherent. I think Risk is a necessity. I think without Risk that there is no conflict, and by extension, no evolution is experienced when one does not engage intimately with Risk.

In the past couple months, I’ve solidified a stronger team then I’ve ever had before, whilst taking the risk of connecting with newer people in a day & age where Insularity seems to be the overarching theme.

Whether it be for the sake of learning more about blossoming sub-scenes within the DMV Art Community or just being called to walk across the room and speak with someone who’s aura is inviting, I take that risk of presenting people with my authentic self and giving them the space to present their authentic self all the same.

Now as we all should know, sometimes you will come as you are, and those who lack their own personal sense of genuineness may see you as a caricature or putting up some sort of facade; the risk in that experience is the pain you may feel.

However, this pain has the potential to be a motivator, just as much as many people would inherently view it as a reason to become Insular. I choose the former.

The next risk I want to speak on is the often hidden risk that comes with stepping into a new State of Self.
Allow me to elaborate,

Familiarity is a fetish that many people have, yet exposure and experience with the unknown is what has molded them into the person they are today and almost always for the better.

The sick fear that people have of the unknown and/or change can be so tremendous that some people feel vindicated in trying to share and collaborate with others, so that they too will join them in their stagnation, whether or not the other party is consenting.

An utter shame, the lot of them.

You will find yourself other’d, persecuted, gaslight, belittled, demeaned, debased, and viewed through a lens that will skew the observer’s understanding of your very being (a skew that they themselves created due to their own ignorance or insecurity about what it is you speak on or how in which you do so).

Do not let them dim your light in this way.

Initially I was going to speak today about the financial risks, the metaphorical Hail Mary’s I threw or the pawns I allowed myself to lose in order to attain a better position in this game of Chess that we call Life.

In all honesty, they never strike as deep as the Risks of the Mind and Spirit, seeing those who were once familiar to you become foreign because you chose to dance to a different song can be heart-wrenching. Many artists become so hurt, guarded, and jaded here that they never even take time to live in their own fullness.

Stuck in environments surrounded by energetic vampires and drug-induced zombies, or even more dire straights if their music business is facilitated by members of the alternative economy, I humbly ask you today to continue moving forward through it all.

Take the risks, they will make you better.

Put up a fight, no matter how small, to prepare you for the battles that truly matter.

And above all else, keep your eyes forward and your head to skies.

“If we look back now, all that shall remain are Pillars of Salt. Souls of Tremendous Stature should never conclude in a State so Granular”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a multi-genre and multi-disciplinary artist from Maryland, USA. I know for a fact what sets me apart from my peers is my versatility and my hunger for education that fuels it.

Every sound, style, language, and culture I touch or conduit through my Art is treated with the utmost respect and diligence. Allow me to offer an example.

If I make a song that uses elements of Southern Hip-Hop, I will plunge myself head first into UGK, Pimp C, Outkast, Isaiah Rashad, Geto Boyz, Big Krit, & Three 6 Mafia so that I may understand the art that is inspiring me on a VERY intimate level.

This kind of sonic & stylistic cultural immersion is no novelty nor is the length of the immersion short, I commit myself to the Art of Education for months to even years at a time.

My Diligence is My Superpower. My Versatility is My Greatest Gift.

I’m most excited and proud of the range of sounds that I will be showcasing on my debut project “Legend Has It”, none of my peers have covered as much ground on a single piece of art as I have, and especially in such a comprehensive manner.
I am Hip-Hop at my core, so I find an almost childlike joy in the competitive nature of Rap, that is sorely missing from the modern landscape right now.

I got to where I am today through genuine connection, asking the direct questions in order to gain the information that many would try to eavesdrop to attain, and making sure I NEVER sell myself short. I make it my business to surpass myself at every juncture and I make it my pleasure to entertain & astonish.

This kind of journey was not, is not, and never will be easy. I didn’t answer this calling to not be battle-tested though, originally I was a Martial Artist before a Contemporary Artist, so I understand the importance of Pressure when looking for Improvement. The mentalities I learned through Shotokan, Northern Shaolin, Muay Thai, and Boxing have only helped me become more disciplined as an Artist.

A few good things I’ve learned along the way are:

– Learn to detect when people are Projecting,
– Honesty is the Long Term Best Policy,
– The Love you give will return,
– Compassion without self-control is Self-Destruction,
– Become Comfortable within the Uncomfortable because the only constant in Life is Change,
– Miracles are always on the other side of Fear,
– & God works best within the “impossibilities” of Man

I want the world to know that My Story is Your Story, I am merely the conduit to speak for those too meek at the moment.
I embrace the Ugly within the Beautiful, and I always advocate for people to inspire the World by showcasing their Authentic Self.
I hope you enjoy the story that God has in store for me, and hopefully it can help you along yours.

Until we speak again: Keep Breathing, Keep Flowing, Keep Fighting, and Be Thankful

Yours Truly,
Jordan Ali

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
[Laughs heartily] I’m in my Gatekeeper Era, so I’m not too keen these days on sharing my favorite spots in the DMV, but I will take this time to specifically highlight:

Sugar Mama’s Breakfast Restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland (American Breakfast)

Miss Toya’s Creole House in Silver Springs, Maryland (Creole- Fusion Cuisine)

Po Boy Jim’s in Columbia, Maryland (Cajun Cuisine)

Ahadu Ethopian Cuisine in Burtonsville, Maryland (Ethopian Food)

Water for Chocolate in Baltimore, Maryland (Luxury American-Fusion Dining)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to these folks in particular this Autumn:

The Get Down event series in Baltimore, Maryland for always being a refuge for artists looking to grow & a dojo for those looking to sharpen their skills. Their ability to find and showcase Artists from the most obscure and slept on places within the DMV is always amazing, and helps color my home with shades of humanity that are often overlooked

Open Gem USA for being a centralizing point for Moguls, Poets, Artists, Musicians, and Tastemakers within the DMV Music Scene. It has been a recent resource of knowledge and perspective for me.

I want to shoutout all 4 of my MMA Coaches: Schuyler Sootho, Wade Breegle, Brian Henderson & Amin for keeping my spirit tempered throughout a tumultuous 2nd half of 2022 (hopefully I’ll have 6 shoutouts by this time next year, would love to get into & back into BJJ and Shotokan respectively)

Shoutout to Mr. Dave, my Engineer, we have such a beautiful thing right now and he’s been helping me understand the basics of Mixing & Mastering alongside always pushing me to do better takes or deliveries whilst still giving the safe space to experiment.

Shoutout to Nic Covers, my Videographer, for being an eye and visionary I can trust with the visual aspect of my Art.

Shoutout to jpegEthan, my Photographer, for being an open heart and ear that cares just as much, if not more, about making sure eternal sensations are captured comprehensively through the medium of Film.

Shoutout to Kilo G, he knows all that he does and his praises deserve their own hour-long special to be sung haha, sometimes God gives you your greatest friends through the vessel of family. I pray our hunger and ambition only grows with time, and we create something to inspire the kids to become greater than what they’re told to be. Let us re-create the Call for them that We chose to answer.

Lastly to all my friends who I view as family and engage in radical friendships, you know exactly who you are. I look forward to telling my children about each of you, and how True Community is an enduring Romance worth a hundred times its weight in gold. My Greatest Love Affair.

Website: https://ffm.to/food4soul

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanali410/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanali410?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordanali410

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5YgBIWGsmRs0k5Ki7CwF9Q

Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeWoAefX/

Image Credits
– All featured photos by Nic Covers – All featured album artwork by Kings.Lab Graphic Design