CEITEDMOFO
Banned
Mahershala Ali shot to A-list status in the acting world after his well-deserved Best Supporting Actor win for his role in the Best Picture-winning film Moonlight at the Academy Awards on Sunday night (February 26). Ali also had a supporting role in Hidden Figures, another Best Picture nominee. Both are big wins for the veteran actor, but they’re also victories for Hip Hop culture.
Ali also plays ruthless villain Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes in Netflix’s Hip Hop-focused Marvel comic adaptation of Luke Cage. And, if you either didn’t know, or had forgotten, Ali has a rich history in the rap game as a respected MC.
Under the moniker Prince Ali, the Bay Area native was signed to underground Hip Hop legends Hieroglyphics’ record label, Hiero Imperium, during the late 2000s. He released his album Curb Side Service in 2007, but was already a seasoned thespian at the time.
Souls of Mischief member and Hiero Imperium label manager Tajai Massey spoke with HipHopDX about Ali’s short tenure with the label, and how he saw Ali’s dedication and talent from 10 years ago translate to an Oscar win.
“I think it’s awesome, man.” Tajai said, “What’s crazy is that he’s been grinding since before he was even signed to our label. That was 10 years ago now. To just sort of watch him bubble from the underground, from Benjamin Button, to 300, and all that kind of stuff all the way up to now, a lot of people are going to realize, ‘Oh, we’ve been seeing this guy for a whole bunch of years.’ So it’s just good to see it culminate in some accolades for him. I think this early in his career now, him having all these accolades is going to set a really high bar. But I think he’s talented enough to pull it off because he’s got a wide range of skills. We signed him because he was a dope rapper, not because he had these acting talents. We’re not thespians, so we don’t know anything about that shyt.”
More at link : Tajai Of Souls Of Mischief Talks Mahershala Ali's Days As A Rapper Signed To Hiero Imperium
