We caught up with Oakland’s Al Mahdi to talk about his newest single “Jihad”. In 2016, Al Mahdi was charged with 31 counts of fraud for owning more than 6 million dollars of real estate. After being remanded on a 1 million dollar bail he was on trial for 90 days and freed once his innocence was proven. In the interview below, Al Mahdi tells us the story of how he came into rap and what has inspired this new single “Jihad” – stream it on Apple Music and follow @actuallyalmahdi on Instagram for more! (Artist Submitted)
Thizzler: Where are you from? How was your upbringing?
Al Mahdi: I’m from Oakland, California. My upbringing was interesting. My mother worked in investment banking for Charles Schwab, and my father was an investment banker for 700 Rudsdale.
T: How did you begin making music?
AM: I began making music by accident. I ran into someone who was already an artist signed to Warner. They were trying to talk to the same girl I was! He said he was a rapper and I said I rap too then started free styling! He took a liking to it and invited me to the studio. After a few years of seeing how the game works, I decided to put my own money behind myself. The rest is history!
T: How did you get your rap name?
AM: Allah charged me with it.
T: How would describe your musical style?
AM: Jay Z with a little Mo3! R.I.P.
T: Tell me about “Jihad”.
AM: Jihad reflects an emotion when there’s no other choice but war.
T: What inspired this new single?
AM: The world is a crazy place right now, and if it’s a jihad I’m going to make a mess.
T: How is it different than previous drops?
AM: This is R&B! I’m singing through the whole song! No rap!
T: Is it part of a project? If so, can you tell me more about that?
AM: This is the project of bringing the mentally dead back to life.
T: What message do you want fans to walk away with after listening to “Jihad”?
AM: The gang members in every city out number the police force, so let’s unite and get it right. The only opps are the cops.
(Artist Submitted)