Abdu Ali has gained notoriety for the outspoken and confrontational politics embedded in his aggressive and soulful dance music. As part of the Baltimore Club scene, Ali pushed the limits of the dance genre with his early releases and manic live performances. Still inspired by his hometown sound, Ali is now moving on to incorporating afro-beat influences on his newest and perhaps most honest project, Mongo. Made available in physical format earlier this year, Mongo is a deeply political work that explores black queer identity and the struggles of oppression, but with an ever-present sense of hope. 

Hometown: Baltimore, MD 

Mongo obviously has a lot of thought put into it. What was the main idea behind the album?

I just wanted to make like a black self-care mixtape, to help people get through a lot of the things that black people go through in this world... 

I was just trying to be hella soulful, hella vulnerable, hella transparent, and hella accessible. I hate those artists who are considered avant-garde that are like “I don't care if people get into my shit!” Like, no that's not what it's about homie. This shit is supposed to be for everybody. Especially if you're a person of color, especially if you're a woman, especially if you're queer or trans person. I feel like it's just backwards to make music that keeps people out. People like me are feeling outed in every sense. People are like, how dare I make music that my mother can't listen to. Every musician has to be responsible for their vibe. I wanted to make something that I could fuck with. That's why you hear a lot of bongo riffs, drum patters, a lot of afro-centric shit. I feel like black folks, black people, black Americans will get it. It was still very much punk, it's very futuristic, it's just more open sonically.

You've been praised for combining really confrontational politics and theory with Baltimore club music—do you think club music is inherently political?

I would say that it's socially liberating for sure. A lot of that shit is about feeling yourself, loving yourself. It's about bodies that aren't necessarily the typical bodies you see in media embracing themselves. Like “Big Girls, clap ya hands,” and shit. 

Do you think there's a place for critical theory and academia in club culture?

I feel like I'm a smart guy. I'm just a thinker, ya know what I'm saying? Sometimes I think, like, if I did go back to school I would study philosophy or social theory. I just want to get more thoughtful and trained. But definitely. I have African American study, queer theory, politics: I keep that in my brain. I'm a very analytical person. I see myself as a witness in society who is giving you my reaction to what I see in this world. And a lot of what I see is fucked up, and I'm giving you my response. I'm also trying to give an essay where like the reader, who hopefully likes my beat, they will hopefully get something from it. If you go to a lecture or a talk or a reading it's cool to get a lot of information but I think it's important that people leave with something. Whether it's a point of view that they never saw before or if it's a mantra or anthem they can use in their life to get through shit. I have thesis statements in my shit.

You mentioned queer theory—do you feel comfortable with the word “queer” these days? What does it mean to you? 

That's funny, I've been thinking about this shit a whole lot. I love the word “queer”. I feel like “gay” is now completely different. “Gay” now means a little bit more heteronormative, a little bit more mainstream, approachable, usually white, usually very cis. Like, no fats no femmes … As far as gender roles—that shit is out the fucking window. I'm not limiting myself. I don't care about bottoms or tops. I'm just a lover. “Queer” is just saying you're not straight, but you're not necessarily gay either, in the sense of very mainstream gay roles. 

The gay community is getting real toxic. The racism of the apps. The magazines are very straight. People are like “Masc Only”—like, no, fuck that! What is wrong with y'all?! Do y'all know where we came from? What are we living through? What the fuck! But seriously, I feel like when the outsiders are allowed to sit at the table they're quick to strip themselves of who they are just to fit in. How can you be a gay republican? What the fuck? Y'all don't even make sense? How can you be gay and racist? 

Queer is just being radical. Radically gay. Radically sexually eccentric. Whatever. I just don't fuck with the mainstream, those mainstream gays. There's a kind of separatism there—but that's what the powers that be want, they want to separate and conquer so we can all be different from each other and not as progressive as we would be if we weren't divided.

What challenges do you face specifically as a queer and black artist?

There's so many! Even in places like New York: that's why parties like Papi Juice had to pop up. There's no space to like conjure up good vibes and have fun without having to fit in. 

There's Mykki [Blanco], there's Cakes [Da Killa], there's Le1f. There's not many people of color who are queer getting support. Just three girls. And they are not even getting the support they deserve. There's only three out of the many wack-ass (no shade) hetero rappers that you see out here. There's only three! Just cause you see black queer girls on TV doesn't mean we're getting anywhere. Black queer girls aren't getting any jobs. We still can't get support doing music. You see all this wack ass indie rock electronic bands—even locally. They have support. We're just not progressive enough for most black queer girls. We gotta work so hard to get the little life that we get. 

Musicians need to make money to be able to survive. That's why I'm glad Mykki Blanco came out and said what she said about white gay media on Twitter. They don't even put queer or black men—not even white women on their cover! White gay media is so backwards.

It's still very hard to get support