Boasting, philosophizing, and motivating over productions that range from boom bap to trap and from funk to bossa nova, Akeem Ali is an uncommonly versatile singer and rapper from Jackson, Mississippi. Although he broke through in 2020 with "Keemy Casanova," a viral track that introduced his '70s-styled pimping alter ego of the same name, he's no mere novelty act, as demonstrated by D.E.A.D. (Do Em All Dirty) (2021), The Texture Tape (2025), and Hold Please (2026), studio projects boasting appearances from the likes of T.I., Big K.R.I.T., and Big Boi, among other Southern legends who have inspired him. Akeem Thomas started writing rhymes in his early teens. Upon graduation from high school, he joined the military and went to barber school, but by that point, rapping had become more than just a creative outlet for him. Opting to pursue music as more than a hobby, Akeem moved in 2016 from his native Jackson, Mississippi, to Atlanta. Several months after his relocation, he was deployed to Afghanistan, returned in 2018, and juggled barber and landscaping work before he chose to do music full-time. With his stage name inspired by Muhammad Ali, Akeem made his independent full-length commercial debut in 2019 with Rollin'. The following year, Akeem introduced Keemy Casanova, an alter ego enabling him to indulge in his affinity for slick, '70s-inspired pimp talk. The single "Keemy Casanova" went viral on social media, greatly raising the rapper's profile and leading to a deal with Winners United, the label founded by professional basketball star Lou Williams. Mack in the Day Starring Keemy Casanova, an EP featuring the breakthrough track along with additional singles like "Shugga" and "The Mack," arrived on Winners United in May 2021. Instead of completely investing in his new persona, Akeem resumed more down-to-earth business only six months later with D.E.A.D. (Do Em All Dirty), a comparatively serious full-length studded with appearances from T.I. and Big K.R.I.T. Before the end of 2021, Akeem co-headlined "50 Lem Hunnits" for the soundtrack of Insecure's fifth season. Amid a steady supply of singles and featured appearances throughout the next several years, Akeem also teamed respectively with BFlat and Red Lotus for the EPs Roses Are Red But I'm Color Blind and Fight the Funk. In 2025, he issued The Texture Tape and The Texture Tape 2, and assisted influences Sleepy Brown and Big Boi on "High Rise [Remix]." Hold Please, another EP, followed in 2026. - Biography by Andy Kellman