Ali Cashius Jr

Ali began garnering respect as a rapper on the desolate Southwest Side of Detroit. He would battle any rapper at his High School and then sneak into night clubs around the city to battle grown men at the age of 16. Because of his mixed race, he had to learn to clap back quickly at kids who would target his ethnicity. With a father from the war torn country of Yemen, and a mother from Puerto Rico, Ali was constantly questioned about his nationality. Battle rap became less important daily, as Ali grew more frustrated watching his mother struggle with two jobs. With an absent father figure and a mother who was forced to bare the role of provider, Ali was determined to make a life for himself no matter the statistics of living in a neighborhood full of drugs and gangs. Music was his outlet.