Sadeeq Ali. Photo by Clay Larsen
Sadeeq Ali Is So Serious About Queer Hip-Hop
Written by Donté Da Qween Johnson
Sadeeq Ali hasn’t been in the game long but has definitely come through to show the boys and girls that us queers can’t be ignored in this realm of Hip-Hop. Hitting the ground sashaying the house down, Sadeeq’s wordplay ain’t nothing to play with! With booty bumps like “Get the Cake” and the raw hypnotic bars in “Gnarly,” Sadeeq has been lighting up the internet letting the world know they have arrived.
I managed to get a one on one with Ali to give me their play by play of the Black Queer Hip-Hop artist experience, LA edition, as we kiki over our shared experiences of the game.
Sadeeq Ali. Photo by Clay Larsen
First I would like to start by saying, COME THE FUCK THROUGH, BITCH! I listened to everything on your Soundcloud and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your music. The bars the flow, and the tea was hot! “Eat the Cake” had me ready to pop it.
OMG you did? Thank you so much! That means so much to me. Dropping a mixtape in a couple weeks, I hope you can find some time in your schedule to listen to that, too.
It’s going right on the phone bitch, we ain’t gonna have to find the time! (haha)
Thanks, boo. The support means everything.
Of course! Being a rapper myself, I know the power of supporting other people’s music. And I’m always here for a queer black person tryna make a move.
So first question: When did your passions for music manifest?
OMG you rap, too?! Shout out to you! They be dogging us the fuck out, so I know it takes a bad bitch to enter the space.
My passion for music started by being around a lot of people who were playing a variety of sounds while I was as growing up, like ages 6-9. I think Britney Spears was like my first MAJOR influence (haha). But as the years went on, I grew to be inspired by rappers like Nicki and Eminem.
Thank you for the shout out! And say that shit. Britney was definitely that bitch and maintained that for a good minute. I love Nicki. Grew up on Eminem.
OK, periodttt! People be sleeping on my baby Britney! She was THE girl (haha)!
Jumping back a little, you had made mentions of them doggin’ us, which leads me to my next question: What challenges do you face being a queer rapper?
OMG I’m sure you can relate to this, but the general stuff, I guess, would be like being underestimated just because I’m queer – like, immediately not being welcome in hip hop cuz I like dudes. Like bitch, WHET?
Haha! I think radio, managers, and labels can also be really stigmatized towards queer artist like us because they’re just soooo sure we’ll never sell, but it’s like, how do you know if you don’t give us a chance?
Sadeeq Ali. Photo by Clay Larsen
BIG FACTS! Tryna gatekeep a bitch! Me, personally I feel like sometimes I have to work twice as hard just to be given my props. Like, I have to have my power level over 8000 all the time, while mediocrity gets praise and accolades based on their proximity to whiteness, but that’s a whole other convo.
With the music industry, so many people on the DL they don’t wanna run the risk of exposure so we have to create our own lanes. Like, we wanna get caught up in they foolishness. There’s plenty available dick and ass to go around we good over here.
OK! SPEAK ON IT!
We DO have to go above and beyond just for the smallest piece of pie. It’s sickening and oop! You know I caught that tea about the DLs… they runnin’ rampant out here boo!
Like, I would literally say most rappers are fluid in their sexuality because at this point you are not foolin’ anyone (haha)! Plenty of non-DL dick and ass to go around. Bye! (haha)
Just goes to show we all going through it. If you don’t catch the white gayze or jump on the DL, then you tend to struggle more.
My next question is: What’s your music-making process like? Is it very much inspiration has struck, drop everything, or can you just jump right in whenever?
I feel really lucky that there are soo many talented producers out here. So most of the time I’ll sit in my room and just fuck around with their beats, try some different flows, and see what sticks kinda thing. It takes a minute for me to feel good about a song because I literally have the worst ear when it comes to myself, so I’ll play it for the homies, usually, and see what sticks. And also, YES for inspiration. I love when people make me mad (haha) because now I have all the juice to write a verse, lol. Childiiiish!
I know exactly what you mean. I’m like, I’m a writer, why do it to yourself? And, as the coach of Team Petty, I don’t play the game, but I know all the rules and how to win OK!
Ok! Like, leave me alone please (haha)
Getting back to the music, though, I’m the same way – free-styling before figuring out what to do with it.
I think it’s great we both write, too, by the way, because we see these artist getting by these days.
GIRL. SAY. THAT!
And they still sleep on us.
I KNOW! LOVE TO SLEEP! We gonna wake ’em up though. Fuck the writing camps they set up! (haha) Then you see the final result and you’re like: THAT’S what you came up with? SMH
RIGHT?!
While we talkin about queer music makers, who are some of your favorite queer music makers?
I LOVEEEE Janelle Monae! I think she is such a genius, she leaves me shook all the time. I vibe with Frank Ocean. Recently getting into Li’l Nas X. I was super proud how he just came out to the world. And Kehlani, of Course! she’s one of my favorite artist in the entire world.
Great choices! I love them guys, too. Li’l Nas I’m still getting into, but Frank will always be the father of my children, so I have to love him.
Moving on, my final question is: Who are your dream collabs?
HAHA yas! He’d make some adorable talented babes, so I totally get that.
Dream collabs would be Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Kehlani and, for the 2000’s I gotta say my bitch Britney, lol! We’d have to bring that choreo back out though!
HAHA come through choreography! And ima have to jump on that Nicki song when we make it happen!
OK, that the dream right?!
Thank you so much for the questions, Qween!
Anytime, Sweets! And thank you so much! We here at Queerspace Magazine can’t wait for the release of your mixtape. Could you tell us the name and the date before you go?
Of course, my mixtape Why So Serious? drops 9/27/19.
And there you have it! Thanks again, Sadeeq, it was lovely chatting with you and I can’t wait for the mixtape!
Sadeeq Ali is a spitter to keep your eye on as this wordsmith breaks down doors with their slick flows and deliciously dark vibes. Sadeeq’s first mixtape, Why So Serious?, is available to stream on Spotify so tap into the underground now.