Underground Sounds With ALi

ALi started working on music about 6 years ago. Humble beginnings had him put out an album full of beats until he realized he could do more. That was the breaking point ALi needed to drop his new style of music to the world.

Hey, very happy to welcome you to the Radio Show and Podcast community. Tell us a little bit more about yourself. Introduce yourself to the community.

My name is ALi, and I create hip-hop and pop music, as well as combining the two. I’ve been creating music for about seven or eight years now, but have been seriously releasing music for about two. What I love about what I do is that I can express my thoughts and experiences through music that I love and hope that someone can relate to it.

One thing that I’m always interested in, when I sit down and chat with artists is, what their defining moment was that they knew that they wanted to be in music… What was that moment in time for you?

About 6 years ago when I realized I could make a basic beat in FL Studio. I was thrilled and thought “Why don’t I just make an album of beats?”. So I did, even though it was super beginner’s level. The second time I had this defining moment though was 2 years ago when I realized I still had the skills I once did. I wanted to make music and use my voice as well. I’ve only built upon those skills, and I think it’s apparent if you listen to my discography from the past two years

it’s all me. i produce and write all my music myself, as well as mixing it. i learned how to master music last year, but i don’t feel confident enough in that department yet, so i get mastering done through LANDR, which is an online mastering service. it’s a really good software for AI mastering if you get your mix sounding really good. when it comes to writing, 90% of the time i write everything myself, but sometimes i’ll have friends pitch in and co-write with me.

What motivates you? Not just in your music but in your normal life as well.

my goal is to become a doctor (a neurosurgeon specifically) when i grow up, and loved ones and friends keep me going when it comes to staying on track in life. i myself want to pursue that, and so i keep myself going because i know truly that that is what i want to do in life. music is my hobby and i love creating so much, and the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that i love creating. i love writing my life experiences and creating something fun out of them. i always hope that my music touches someone and that they can relate to a song and say “oh i’ve been in that situation before” or “that situation is happening to me right now”. that’s my goal and what keeps me going. i want to be a messenger and make people feel better if they’re going through something rough.

I am personally on a mission to get good music heard by everyone. What is one thing that bothers you the most about trying to come up in the music world today and, do you prefer being underground or, is the mainstream something you strive for?

i feel like there is a stigma around independent artists not making good music. it’s so not true and i wish some people paid more attention to independent artists because they deserve the attention. it’s difficult doing everything yourself out of your pocket. i always hope my music reaches a larger audience, but i don’t necessarily strive for fame. i just want my music to connect with people on a larger scale, whether that’s mainstream or underground. being popular is definitely not something i strive for all the time.

it’s really all over the place! my number one is always gonna be Selena Gomez. I love pop music and how there’s no boundaries in that department. I also love Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, blackbear, Post Malone, Melanie Martinez, Bebe Rexha, Katy Perry, 100 gecs, Nicki Minaj, Ellie Goulding, Tate McRae. the list doesn’t even end there.

One question that I like to ask artists is, how did Covid affect your music in particular and the music scene in your area?

everything just shut down, like completely. i remember i finished my last album, sophomore, right when lockdown started. because of covid, i didn’t get to do much with that record, but i’m kind of glad it worked out that way because i was so ready to move on from that phase of my life and move on from experiences i wrote about in that album. lockdown was kind of a blessing in disguise though because it forced people to become creative in a way. people in my area started creating music, like Majesty’s Wing who’s on a song with me on my new album. i was able to make this new album throughout lockdown as well, and it’s my best work. i was really sure to not pressure myself or rush anything out either because i really wanted to make my choices carefully and add to the songs with time. balance was super important to. my last two albums i feel were rushed, and i didn’t wanna do that this time around. i kept a good balance between creating and going about my normal everyday life, and it worked out great throughout this album process. i was able to really get creative with these songs without rushing anything. it’s weird, but lockdown definitely tapped into people’s creativity.

I, myself, personally think that there’s too much social media out there to keep up with. I understand why it’s necessary but there’s a ton of it out there. What are your feelings on social media and music today?

i think it’s a great way to get your voice heard and spread ideas, especially for music, but at the same time it does get a bit crazy on there. i spread word about my music via social media, and it’s great

for that, but people can be brutal on there sometimes. my personal life isn’t always on display on social media, and i like it that way.

Do you create music often? When can we expect another release?

this past year, yes, a lot. i worked on production for this album from the start of lockdown till the end of last year, and started recording at the end of last year till just a couple weeks ago. i have a lot planned for this album, so it won’t be super long till you hear something new from me!

I grew up in the 90’s, I listened to everyone from Dr. Dre, to Weezer, to Pink Floyd, Metallica, Cypress Hill and back again. I truly believe that the 90’s were one of the greatest era’s for original music. Which era of music is one of your favorites?

honestly for me, i loved the 2010s. we got some really good hits that i feel like people today still listen to. it’s too good.

If you could swap yourself into a different artist, who would it be?

probably blackbear. i love how his discography has different sounds and genres each album. he’s really versatile, and i love that

What tips or advice would you give someone that’s just starting out in the music game?

really figure out and take the time to perfect your craft and find what your good at. don’t try to accelerate yourself into using the big software yet either. starting out with garageband or a very base level software is good in the start, and then you can level your self up once you start to get really good at creating.

Closing Statements:

my new album “party” comes out july 16th, and you can hear the title track, which is my new single, right now on all platforms. this album means so much to me and i’m really proud of it. it sounds like a party and i tried so many new things and experimented, and it’s such a fun record. i hope you all love it, and thank you so much!

Follow ALi at the following links:

Listen to ALi’s brand new single ‘party’, out now, from the brand new album of the same name out July 16th: https://ffm.to/alipartysingle

Pre-order the new album “party” now, out July 16th: https://ffm.to/alipartyalbum

Shop ALi’s Official store: https://bit.ly/ShopALiOfficialStore

Follow ALi: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ali.musicwh… Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALikdkjidmne YouTube: http://bit.ly/ALiYT

Listen on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/4oYQsdmCNjRgE4755nWANq Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/party-single/1571048945?ls=1

Get exclusive ALi merch, available at: http://bit.ly/ShopALiMerch Sign-up to be the first to hear news from ALi: http://bit.ly/ALiofficial ALi Essentials http://bit.ly/ALiEssentials This is ALi http://bit.ly/ThisIsALi