[Exclusive Interview] Meet Sebi Ali: Your New Favorite Artist

Sebi Ali is a jack of all trades. Born in China and then soon moving to LA to pursue his music dream, Sebi Ali has amassed over 1 million streams on various streaming platforms. With his newest release “5%TINT” Sebi Ali is on the way to becoming your favorite artist. We sat down with him to discuss the past, present, and future of his career.

For those who aren’t familiar with you yet, can you introduce yourself and give a little insight into how you got started in the music industry?

“I am Originally from a small town in China called Urumqi with a small Turkish ethnic group of  Muslim minority – Uyghur. I grew up in a musical family. My dad was a singer and my mom was a dancer. I went on a lot of competition shows with my dad as a family which jumparted my music career.”

How would you describe your music in 3 words and why?

“Different, exciting, and bold. 

The old stuff I’ve done was dark and moody but now as I transition into a new chapter it’s more exciting and bold.”

What made you pursue R&B music specifically? 

“Growing up in China, the only thing besides my ethnic music was either Bollywood or Michael Jackson. My uncle used to love “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. One day I started humming to it and after I did that, he looked at me and asked “Are you singing this song?” He then played the music video for me, and showed me “Thriller” and “Billie Jean”. I enjoyed both, but “Billie Jean” was a lot more influential to me. I even started moonwalking when I was 5! That’s how I got here.”

Who are some of your biggest influences when it comes to your music?

” Usher and Chris Brown (as an artist), is one of my biggest influences after Michael Jackson because of how he took influence from Michael and elevated. Bollywood movie soundtracks really influenced me when I was young.”

“Justin Bieber; In China, we had musical charts of the best male artist, and Michael was only number one until he passed away then some kid with blonde hair was at the top and I had to check him out and I started listening to his stuff and I thought “ I have a similar voice,” and I started digging into who he is and thought he was really inspirational. I followed his footsteps in a way by doing covers and I discovered some of the songs he was singing and through him, I discovered through his covers.”

In your journey as an up-and-coming artist, challenges are bound to come your way. How do you rise above these challenges, and what insights have they brought to your growth?

“Faith. Faith is definitely something you need when you try to pursue any dream. I feel like faith and a higher power are going to assist you but you need to have faith in yourself first. If you don’t have faith in yourself then no one else will have faith in you.”

“Be it before people see it” 

You wear multiple hats as a singer, songwriter, and producer. How does your music come to life? What’s the creative process like? 

“I went to school for production but before that I was finding beats online. I would find beats and spark inspiration from that. I would find a loop or sample that I like, I lay the meolodies down and do a couple more takes. I start cutting pieces from the melody that could be the verse, hook, pre-chrous. I piece the puzzle together. It also depends on the mood or who I’m with. It depends on the vibe, we write around the words we put together. I’m always around people who I believer are better than me, so gives me pressure to be better.”

If you could choose one of your songs to be the theme song of your life, which one would it be and why?

“A letter to me. That’s a song I wrote to myself. A letter to my younger self. The song is about me telling him to be patient. Life is a roller coaster but try your best to keep going and remember who you are and your purpose. Everything will come, your story is already written but just walk.”

How do you stay connected to your fans while actively growing your fanbase?

“I try to respond to messages like DM requests and comments. I try to respond to as many comments as possible, so they know it’s someone behind the screen.”

How do you envision your sound evolving as you progress as an artist? 

“I think I would bring a different genre-bending style into the industry because of where I’m from, my ethnic background, and my influences. My sound will be something new and exciting. I have confidence.”

With your track “No More” amassing an impressive half a million streams and a spot on Spotify’s “Fresh Indie” Playlist, you’re making waves. Looking ahead, what other big achievements are you aiming for in your music career?

“I’m want to bring something new to the game. I want to set my own lane and solidify myself as an artist and a performer. Hopefully, help different kids like me or kids like me who have similar stories to just help them through my music. Leave an impact. I have a goal where my parents will be proud of me.”

Want more of Sebi Ali? Make sure to follow him on his Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Stream “5%TINT” available on all streaming platforms.