POETIC JUSTICE
PoetNomadAli is one of California's best-kept secrets. He is also one of rap music's untapped gems. He can rap with hip-hop's best and his lyrics ebb and flow in revelations of storytelling. His music is charmingly idiosyncratic and his lyrics have a deft and individual touch enjoyed by a rapidly growing following of fans that recognize him for his intelligent and well-conceived poetic writing. He's determined to infiltrate the recording industry with his musicality as a hip hopper and his talent as a lyricist.
Born in Tehran in 1981, APoetNomadAli immigrated to the USA in 1984. When he talks however, he sounds considerably older than his 25 years. "First and foremost," he says, "I am a writer, whether (it's) short stories or poetry. The development in hip hop came secondary to time spent fine-tuning my writing." But writing is far from the only thing this rap impresario spends his time doing. He also holds down four jobs, weaving his time between his stint as a substitute Spanish teacher, teaching four hip-hop dance classes, helping his family's limousine business on weekends and "then by about 9 o'clock is when I work on my music until I fall asleep". He also formed a Flamenco group called "Duende Flamenco" after he spent a year in Spain. Quite a busy bee, this APoetNomadAli.
And the music lineage goes deep into his family roots: his father was a DJ in Iran. "There was always music in the house," Ali explains. So far, APoetNomadAli has only teased listening audiences. releasing an 18-song promo CD to rally the fans. The CD includes the track "Star Zameen," one of the most mystical, beautiful and touching songs about the Iranian revolution. a mélange of strikingly exotic music, the spine-chilling audio news excerpts of the revolution incorporated into the song and the enigmatic voice of the beautiful Morvarid with the powerfully eloquent words of APoetNomadAli express a deep-felt aching sorrow of Iran, "a beautiful land taken hostage," as Ali refers to it. But he makes it clear that he's got quite an inventory of music waiting for an outlet and his first album isn't far away. His themes are universal. from addressing the Iranian Revolution to growing up and realizing that there are no more free ghormeh-sabzi dinners. Everyone will find something to grab onto.
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