This is my most recent project, a full length mixtape, MONGO that was released in April 2016.

Credits:

All album art by Elliott Brown Jr.

Please credit photographer if using imagery

Mixing & Mastering by JPEGMAFIA, MIGHTY MARK, & MR. 14TH

Lyrics are available in each song's description box. All lyrics by me, except the vocal features, who made their own lyrics.

Production credits on track listing.

Artist Statement in a short essay

i wanted to give up. ovah and ovah again. why? look at me, then look at the world i live. you see what im saying? life for me, aint been no crystal stair. do i even have a life? do i own one? i got a lot of debt. broke af, cant really obtain the wealth america promised me. am i here? is my life alive? 

i believe i do have a life because…i cant give up.  esp after witnessing the shade of it all in my city, post freddie gray's death. vividly i saw through that moment and still what i see today, are the attacks from media, all the systems, and the white hooded neighbors…is something that can really bring a bitch down. so im surprised by the fact that i am still here. after the shade of it all, i still rise. Maya Angelou, is that you?

something in me. the fire inside that makes me feel like no road cant be unconquered. what is that? i say its my mother’s hand, my lineage, my ancestors. the voodoo. the music. the music keeps me alive. the drums, the beat, and voices, (that cant ever be mimicked). my genetically passed down unbothered mien to be so me. to be black. even after being bleached a thousand times. my blood aint sterile. that pain i felt last april provoked the energy, the fire, to rage a bit more. my vision became a bit more focused. so my music became more and my performances became more. this mixtape, MONGO is who i am and what i am for what i be. its only for us. Mongo, I consider to be the blk self care mixtape consists of: Anthems Mantras & Narratives. Fela, Marvin, Nina, Lauryn, Tupac, Octavia E. Butler, and Miss Tony, I see what y'all was saying now. I know what I gotta do. I just gotta do me through us. The revolution is not just communal, it can also be an individual protest through thy work, sweat, or screams. Energy is infectious like the many systematic diseases that plagued our people. Teach one, teach all. also our other experiences are worthy to be art, our love trials, being queer and black, missing our deceased loved ones, or consuming the fruits of the green, because the self care is important. all of that deserves a song too. but I still don't know what it is that keeps my fist up, my hair nappy, and my skin so gold. but what i do kno is that me and u gonna get thru this. for some reason we have to. Is it just justice? is it the return of the black gods? deep down we know they will be back. cause one thing is for sure, the sun don't hurt me none. RIP PRINCE (CONTROVERSY IS THE REASON WHY I THOUGHT I COULD MAKE MUSIC). - ABDU ALI

Track List:

1. TAKE ME TO DA WATA
   • PRODUCED BY ABDU ALI & PANGELICA
2. IM ALIVE (HUMANIZED)
   • PRODUCED BY JPEGMAFIA
3. ANTI.CHIP ft. JPEGMAFIA & ELON
   • PRODUCED BY JPEGMAFIA & ABDU ALI
4. TEARS OF A BLACK MOVA
   • PRODUCED BY DJ HARAM
5. HOW? (FIGHT BACK)
   • PRODUCED BY GOBBY
6. DID DAT
   • PRODUCED BY MIGHTY MARK
7. BOY BYE
   • PRODUCED BY MR. 14TH
8. SIRENS ft. JOY POSTELL & AL ROGERS
   • PRODUCED BY BUTCH DAWSON
9. KEEP MOVIN (NEGRO KAI)
   • PRODUCED BY MENTAL JEWERLY & ABDU ALI

I am founder and the creative director of Kahon, The Agency, an organization based in Baltimore that's invested in changing the artistic climate of the city. 

Kahlon was inspired by the lack of creative platforms, especially in the music scene, for underrepresented people like black and brown folk, womyn, and the LGBTQI community.  In the Summer of 2014 Abdu Ali, the founder of Kahlon, The Agency, teamed up with Lawrence Burney, Chanel Cruz, and DJ Genie to start Kahlon to create a more inclusive music event that represented the diversity of the creative world within Baltimore City and putting black and brown artists to forefront of these events. For the visual component of Kahlon, digital illustrator and multi disciplinary artist, Theresa Chromati was appointed as the flyer designer for all Kahlon events and Jedicom, a projection artist help establish the physical ambience for Kahlon events. 
For the past two years Kahlon has hosted performances by Princess Nokia, Juliana Huxtable and Dan Deacon, as well as beautiful art installations from Jedicom. 

Now Kahlon is a creative agency that is working on changing the artistic climate of Baltimore and making it a more productive space for underrepresented creatives.

Kahlon focuses on uplifting and exhibiting various modes of production by people who are often oppressed and misrepresented. In addition to furthering Kahlon’s impact through a robust curation of musical acts, Kahlon has expanded to include “The Cut Up Series,” a diverse platform for exhibitions and arts/music programming set in Baltimore. As a creative agency we utilize the strengths of the artistic and cultural communities within Baltimore to bridge the gap between multiple levels of class, race, and gender, thus strengthening the community through events that are geared toward accessibility.