| Determination
to succeed best describes Ali's rising star
into comedy. Refusing to feel life had defeated
him, Ali began his comedy career in the penitentiary. He
emerged from the dreary walls of incarceration
as a man with a zealous mission, to become
a professional humorist. A lot of hard
work and dedication has resulted in his swift
and steady rise in the comedy arena.
Surrounded by so many unhappy
and miserable people, Ali decided to take
a chance at trying to cheer-up these individuals
by filling their lives with laughter. "To me therapy
is comedy, comedy is laughter, and laughter
is happiness." Ali saw a way to deal
with his own situation, as well as an avenue
for easing the dreariness of others in the
same environment.
In his new life, Ali quickly
took advantage of the opportunities given
to him by the owner of the Jus' Joking Comedy
Café, in Houston,
Texas. There he emerged as a weekly
featured stand-up. Honing his comedic
storytelling skills, building his name and
quickly catching the interest of some of the
most talented comedians in the industry. Ali's
off brand style of humor tickled the funny
bone of audiences at every show.
Performances with fellow stand-up comedians
at Jus' Joking include Mike Bonner, Deon
Cole, Lavelle Crawford, Marvin Dickson, Dominique,
Derrick Ellis, Dez, Mike Epps, Al Freeman,
Terry Grosse , Corey Holcombe and Jemario,
Jemario . Ali has also shared the
stage with Melanie Comacho , Arnez
J ., Red Grant, Jammin J. Lamont,
Tony Roberts, Dana Quarters, Simply
Marvelous, Tony Sculfield, Thomas Miles, Juan
Villarreal and Rodney Winfield . He
opened up for J. Anthony Brown and Earthquake as
part of the Def Comedy Jam Tour as well as
for Ricky Smiley , Earthquake and Arnez
J . for the All Star Comedy Jam.
In addition to performances
at various comedy clubs throughout the country
and several opening act appearances, Ali
has also been busy polishing his acting skills
with five independent film appearances in "4 Deep", "Kappa Beach Week
2000", "Dirty 3 rd Party Two", " The
J.R. Richard Story"and "Live from Rio".
Building an impressive resume
in a short period of time, Ali has hosted
and performed at several college campuses,
participated in numerous celebrity events
and briefly hosted his own radio show, "Tuesdays with Ali",
on KBXX 97.9 the Box.
Some of Ali's comedy mentors include, Richard
Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Red Fox, Steve Martin,
Martin Lawrence, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps,
Corey Holcombe and Dominique .
Ali hopes to thrive in the
industry and open doors for other comedians
coming after him. Look
for Ali to continue climbing the ladder of
success determined not to stop until he is
on top. This fall, viewers can watch
him appear as a featured comic on the 2000-04
season of BET's internationally acclaimed Comic
View.
"Comedy has provided me with an opportunity
to reach out to others and spread joy. When
I make people laugh and smile, I've served
my purpose". |
