Ali B

Born in Zaanstad on October 16th, 1981 to Moroccan-Dutch parents and raised in Amsterdam, Ali “Ali B” Bouali had a troubled upbringing, battling drug and gambling addictions before turning to music and religion. First trying his luck as a rapper in TV talent contests at the turn of the 21st century, he rose to prominence while competing for the Grote Prijs van Nederland in 2002. Despite finishing as runner-up, he found himself firmly on the radar of major labels, and signed to Warner just two months later. Achieving moderate success with his debut single, the Karima collaboration “Waar gaat dit heen?”, the following year, he enjoyed a major breakthrough in 2004 with the Brace team-up “Ik ben je zat”, which peaked at number three in his home country. By September of the same year, his single with singer Marco Borsato, “Wat zou je doen”, had arrived, topping the national charts for four consecutive weeks. Forging international links in the following years, Bouali opened for 50 Cent in Rotterdam, scooped up two MOBO Awards in the UK in 2005 and collaborated with Akon on the 2006 single “Ghetto”, even having his own waxwork likeness created in the iconic British museum Madame Tussauds. Dabbling in comedy and presenting in the following years while continuing to sustain a formidable musical output, he became a coach on The Voice of Holland in 2013, appearing as a guest judge on the national edition of the X Factor the same year. Crossing over into acting proper, he landed numerous roles in dramas in the late 2010s, all the while continuing to record new material. Demonstrating an inclination towards melodic rap on his 2016 album, Een Klein Beetje Geluk, he has since returned with a string of hit singles including “Dana”, a 2018 collaboration with EDM heavyweight R3HAB and singers Numidia and Cheb Rayan.